Persona: Master of Shadows
by E1n R0s0
Summary: An old enemy returns. An ancient enemy arises. Will those wielding personas, both new and old, be the world's salvation? Or will they be its ruin? Update: A day in the life of the newest Persona user, Shin Nanjou.
1. Prologue: Light and Darkness

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series. Atlus owns that, lol._

_Author notes:  
1. I've designed this story to incorporate a lot of stuff from the entire Persona series (1-4), as well as some tidbits from the Shin Megami Tensei universe.  
_

_2. Starting next chapter, I plan on including a glossary where I can place tidbits regarding characters, terms, or whatever that might not be too familiar to readers. So, if any of you readers see a term or a character that you haven't seen before, or would like to know a bit more of, please feel free to tell me in the reviews._

_3. This story is designed to start right after Souji returns to the city. However, the prologue (this chapter), is the only exception. The events happening here are still part of the timeline of this story, but it'll gradually be revealed.  
_

_4. Hopefully my writing style isn't too jarring; be advised that words that are italicized are the character POV's thoughts, or a voice in the POV's head. The horizontal line denotes either a change in scenario, or a change in POV.  
_

_5. Enjoy!_

* * *

PROLOGUE

"Light and Darkness"

White. Everything was white. He did not why, or how, or even what had happened to produce this pure white light, but somehow he knew that he was the cause. He felt that this should have been a momentous event, an _epic _event, but somehow he could not remember why. His memory was riddled with holes much like a sieve used in cooking, with only hints of recollection here and there. He could not even remember who he was!

"A dream… this has to be dream," he mumbled. Things like this happened in a dream. He just knew for certain, for that was one of the things he _could_ remember. He remembered dreaming a thousand times over, never waking, living different lives during different times in different worlds.

The light subsided, and after closing his eyes to give them a few seconds to adjust, he opened them to survey his surroundings.

"I was so worried! I though you were dead!" cried a strangely familiar female voice.

He was looking straight at a woman's crying face, tears dripping down her cheeks onto his forehead. He was actually lying on the ground with his head on the woman's lap, though he was unsure how he got there and why he felt so weak that he needed to be resting on her lap in the first place. However, something inside himself told him that he should be comforting her.

"Yeah… I'm back…" he said weakly.

_"FOOLISH."_

He froze. The word… the voice reverberated inside his head like a peal of a church bell, but that was not the reason why he felt stunned. That voice… that voice could not have existed. _Should_ not have existed.

_"ACCURSED."_

He started to panic. He could not fight in this state! "_I defeated you! I killed you!",_ he thought.

_"KILLED ME?_ _YOU DO NOT SEEM TO COMPREHEND THE IDIOCY IN YOUR CLAIM."_

He pushed the crying girl away, and stood up. He intuitively grabbed the strange machine right next to him, and started preparing it for battle. Pain shot through every muscle of his body, and he could not stand properly, but he didn't care. This wasn't right. This _couldn't _be right! He had won!

"Come out then! So I can kill you again!" he roared.

_"ACCURSED ONE, YOU WHO HAVE COMMITTED THE ULTIMATE SIN. YOUR PUNISHMENT WILL BE GREAT AND EVERLASTING."_

His mind… exploded. All the pain he had caused others and all the pain that he had thought forgotten in his memories suddenly rebounded and hit him all at the same time. All the beings he had killed, all the beings who had died indirectly because of his choices and his actions, all those he had left to die… their painful experiences before death and at the moment of death rushed into him. He finally remembered this life, but in remembering wanted to forget. A million hurts and pains. A million deaths. All experienced in a blink of an eye.

_"ACCURSED ONE, YOU WHO HAVE COMMITTED THE ULTIMATE SIN. YOUR SOUL WILL BE GRANTED A FUTURE THAT WILL HAVE NO FUTURE, FOR ALL OF ETERNITY."_

He screamed, as he was suddenly pulled back into the darkness.

* * *

Black. The color of darkness. Oh, Wondrous darkness. He reveled in it, he loved it, he felt safe in its embrace. He had never understood why so many beings could not stand the pure darkness. To him, it was a place where he could plot and be at peace, without anyone else seeing.

'He'. He chuckled to himself. He was neither 'he' nor 'she', but it had been a lot of fun seeing himself as 'he'. He instinctively thought about his self as male, but that may have been because he still remembered how much fun life had been during his last incarnation. Existence was always fun when he had to go against such a worthy player as Philemon. He had bent many rules during their little game, and yet Philemon had still managed to win. Somehow.

In his mind's eye, he pictured a gigantic board, much like the so-called game 'chess'.

"Where, oh where did I go wrong?" he asked himself idly.

It was a question that he had asked himself a million times during his sleep here in the rift between consciousness and unconsciousness. He had played this most recent scenario perfectly. The Joker. Masquerade. The Last Battalion. The Amano girl dying, giving him enough to completely win. He pictured the playing piece 'Maya Amano' as in a situation on the board where his victory was assured on the next turn.

"And yet…"

Philemon's wild card, Tatsuya Suo, did something completely unexpected, which allowed them _all_ to survive, even the Amano girl. And so he focused on the existence known as Tatsuya Suo. Despite his efforts, his new scenario, the creation of the New World Order, was also defeated, this time by old alliances, by the playing piece Maya Amano, and by yet another unexpected move by the Suo boy. Their victory had cost them, yes, but it had also cost him his freedom.

He pictured all the playing pieces that he had used during his last stint at freedom. He had always been curious by these pieces called humans. Throughout the Amala Universe they were the most gullible, malleable, and controllable beings that existed. It was easy to manipulate them once you knew the right strings to pull.

However, they were also the most interesting, unpredictable, and random existence he had ever known.

He was constantly intrigued at how these beings were fully capable of thwarting his machinations, despite him knowing and using the darkness within their hearts, twisting them into their Shadow selves, a state where he was most in control. Truly random and unpredictable. It had never been this hard when dealing with demons, or manikins, or even higher existences such as he. Manipulation, when done in the shadows, was extremely effective.

As he continued his idle speculation bathed in the darkness of his prison, a tiny speck of light suddenly appeared in the the rift.

"Hmm? What's this?"

The speck of light was moving towards him, growing larger by the second. As it approached, he noticed a red door in the middle of the light. As it drew closer, he realized that the door was massive, with engravings on it of the sort that he recognized, but was surprised to see. It stopped a close distance away, and slowly started opening its doors.

From the door came a being that he recognized, but was not pleased to see.

"Hmph… Come to taunt me now, have we?" he said irritably.

The being smiled. "No."

"If you don't have any business here, then just leave. My precious void is being spoiled by your light."

The being laughed softly. "Imprisoned One, surely you wish to be freed? Is this how you treat your prospective rescuer?"

He remembered what happened to all those beings that freed him in the past. They automatically assumed that liberating him immediately gave them a privilege to be on an even level or higher with him, or even control him. Preferential treatment for beings such as them? Such fools. He saw them as unworthy pawns in the grand game, and treated them as such.

However, he could not say the same for this one.

"So I'm expecting that you would want some sort of favour for this, yes?" he asked cautiously.

The figure turned around and beckoned him to follow, and so he did. As they walked side by side towards the door, the being answered.

"I do not wish for anything from you… except maybe to become an additional piece of chaos in this reality that we are about to enter."

As they approached the door, he got a glimpse of the so-called reality that he was about to be freed into.

"I assume that you have some unfinished business here?" the being asked thoughtfully.

He laughed, a laugh of pure ecstasy. His body was shaking with excitement. "Excellent! You could not have chosen a more perfect world to free me in. From this moment on, it shall be time for my New Game to begin. And this time, I'll make sure that nothing will stop me from winning."

In the rift, he was a part of the darkness. In this world in the Amala Universe, however, he was the Crawling Chaos.

He stepped into the light and smiled. "Nyarlathotep has returned."


	2. Introductions! The Hick,The Zombie,and I

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series. Atlus owns that, lol._

_Author notes: __  
1. Be advised that words that are italicized are the character POV's thoughts, or a voice in the POV's head, or music. The horizontal line denotes either a change in scenario, or a change in POV._

_2. Glossary entry starts this chapter onwards. As I said last chapter, __if any of you readers see a term or a character that you haven't seen before, or would like to know a bit more of, please feel free to tell me in the reviews or through pm's.  
_

_3. Enjoy!_

_

* * *

_

"Introductions! The Hick, The Zombie, and I"

"_I will burn my dread  
Burn, my dread!"_

Wearing the latest craze of S0my headphones, the youth bobbed his head slightly to the beat as he walked along the sidewalk, oblivious to everything around him.

_"There's no man's land__  
No man's ever survived  
__Invisible hands are  
Behind you just now..."  
_

"Hey, you!"

Was that a shout? From far off?

_"If you ever win that  
Race against rage then  
You'll be the king coz  
It's no man's land..."_

The youth ignored the shouts and kept moving, until a heavy hand suddenly grabbed at his shoulder. Obviously irritated, the boy removed his headphones, and sized up the stranger who interrupted his pleasant stroll.

"Yes, officer?"

The stranger was a uniformed officer, likely from the precinct nearby. He was young though, and still didn't exude that aura of authority that the more experienced members of the police force had. The officer frowned under his scrutiny, likely from the patronizing smile on his face.

"Did you see what you just did a moment ago? Or do you close your eyes as well when you listen to that music of yours?"

The youth shrugged. "If I didn't notice it, then it doesn't have anything to do with me."

The officer turned red in anger. "You just walked a red light, pushing a bunch of kids along the way! Pushing them _into oncoming traffic_! During _rush hour_! It's a miracle none of the kids were hurt, with all the drivers rushing home, it being a Friday and all! I ought to—"

"Mr. Matsuhiro, is there a problem?"

The youth looked at the newcomer, surprised. "_Damn. I can handle things myself, you know."_

The officer turned and immediately saluted. "Detective Nanjou, sir, this miscreant almost caused countless accidents involving children, and—"

"It's alright, Mr. Matsuhiro. I'll take everything from here. Please go back to your station."

After the officer's salute and dismissal, the youth started walking down the sidewalk, and was quickly joined by the detective.

"I didn't need your help, you know," the youth said, scowling.

"Shinichi… still as irresponsible as ever, I see," the detective said with a light tone.

Shinichi scowled even further. He never did like it when his older brother used that tone of voice with him, as he wasn't sure if his brother was being condescending or was just plain teasing.

"It's 'Shin' now, you know. Shinichi sounds like a kid's name."

"Shinichi sounds fine for someone as childish as you," his brother responded.

"_Arghhhh!_" He wanted to punch him!

His brother chuckled. "What's with the pouty face, 'Shin'? If you want me to stop treating you like a kid, then you should stop acting like one!"

Shin looked straight ahead, face burning with anger. _"I can't believe this… the first day I leave home to live in a dorm, and I have to see HIM of all people!"_

"But seriously, Shin, you've got to learn to stop acting like such an idiot. You can't just act like how you used to, back when we lived with mom and dad; you have to take more responsibility for your actions. Like that incident back there; did you have to push those kids out of the way? You've got to stop being so selfish! You're not in primary school or in junior high anymore!"

Shin continued walking, feeling a _tiny_ stab of remorse. _"Well, maybe I did go a bit too far… gotta be more mature, apparently girls like mature guys… besides, I'm in high school now!"_

He summoned the best apologetic face he could manage. "Ahh… sorry about that, Natsuhiko."

His brother grinned. "Can't you manage a better sorry face than that? Looks like you're having diarrhea!"

"Shut up."

* * *

The dormitory building Shin would be staying at didn't look too big nor too small, and was nestled between what looked to be a gym where he could work out and another, smaller building that looked to be the extension of the dormitory. He had read that there were a large number of students who went to Meguro International High, but he wasn't expecting the number to be large enough that they would need two residences! It was a private school after all, and was said to be pretty hard to get into unless you were smart, had a lot of money or had good connections.

After nodding good-bye to his brother, Shin used the key card given to him by the school administration, and entered the door of what would be his new home for his entire high school life. He felt strangely nervous, excited, and curious, all at once, as this was the first time he would be living outside of his parents' home.

The small hallway inside led to another door. The wall directly to the right of door had a small glass window which he couldn't see through, possibly a one-way mirror, and was equipped with what looked to be an intercom system of some sort. He had seen the same in his house.

Shin took out his key card and slid it into the slot of the door. Nothing.

Puzzled, Shin continued trying to slide his key card onto the door. "_What the hell?"_

_Bzzzzzt._ The sound had come from the intercom. "IS THERE SOMEONE OUTSIDE? OH SORRY, THE SYSTEM'S BROKEN RIGHT NOW. HERE LET ME OPEN THE DOOR_."_

The door opened inward, and Shin found himself face to face with a teenager, taller than himself, and probably as tall his brother. _"Hm… gray hair. I wonder what could cause all that gray? Maybe stress? That can't possibly be the up-and-coming fashion here at Meguro City... can it?"_

The gray-haired youth smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that. That Reinhardt guy must have forgotten to leave the phone book here as a door stopper. Good thing I was reading in the living room. Come in, come in."

Shin stepped inside as he was ushered in, and stopped to look around the place. The walls were painted a dull beige, the ceiling was equipped with white lights that attempted to brighten the entrance, and the floor was made of wood which had been polished till it absolutely gleamed. The intercom system outside was connected to a small room to the side of the entrance, and had the look of a guard or porter's room. Before he could explore a bit more, however, the gray-haired boy motioned for him to follow, leading him into a sophisticated, well-lit living room.

The place looked… ordinary to him. Boring even. Maybe he had set his sights too high?

The living room was carpeted, and out of respect for the poor soul who had to clean the big area, Shin decided to remove his shoes, as was custom in his family.

"Looks like I don't need to tell you to remove your shoes. I'm one of those in charge of cleaning up the living and dining area these coming weeks," the teenager said thankfully.

As they settled themselves on the couches near an antique grand piano, the boy stretched out his hand. "I'm Seta, Souji Seta. I just got here a day ago." Shin shook his hand mechanically, as he had been trained to do.

Seta grimaced. "My parents are still abroad and couldn't come home, so they sent me here for my final year of high school. Have you heard of Inaba? Well, I could have stayed there, but my parents found out about the… disturbances. Apparently, they thought it was too dangerous to stay, despite my uncle's protests."

"Disturbances? Those were murders, dude," Shin explained. The place sounded familiar though… was it because of the news about the murders? Shin looked quizzically at Seta. _"This guy's a hick? He certainly doesn't look or act like one."_

Shin continued. "Anyway, I'm Nanjou, Shin Nanjou." _"Oh boy, here comes that question…"_

"Nanjou?" Seta said, obviously surprised. "So you're of familial relation to the owner of the Nanjou Group?"

"_I knew it… everyone asks that… well, not as eloquently as he just did, but whatever," _Shin thought annoyingly.

"Yeah, Kei Nanjou, the owner of the Nanjou Group, is my older cousin."

Seta seemed to have noticed his annoyance, and said nothing further about the subject. He felt surprised and grateful. People would usually either go on to say something about him being from a rich and influential family, how lucky he was to be a Nanjou, and so on and so forth. The reality was, things weren't really as rosy as that. He hated talking about family.

There was an awkward silence between the two of them, which Seta broke by pulling a magazine from the pile on the living room table, flipping through it and finally settling on a certain page.

"_Coolest? That famous entertainment magazine? Why would Seta… wait, this issue is…"_

Shin leaned forward in surprise. "I knew it! Seta-senpai, that issue's the one with the Rise Kujikawa exclusive interview, isn't it? About how she just formally announced her return? Damn man, I didn't know you were a fan too!" he said excitedly.

Seta gave a small smile. "A fan? Well, you could say that..."

Shin laughed. "No worries, senpai, I can keep a secret! But as I was saying: I absolutely love Rise; isn't she the sexiest and hottest idol around? Definitely the best of the pop idols in this era! I was so disappointed when she decided to stop for a bit, but I'm just so excited to know that she's finally back! You've got to see the wallpaper on my laptop, senpai, only true fans—"

"Here."

Shin turned in surprise to the deep voice. The front door _was _left open, but he hadn't even heard the guy's footsteps, let alone the heavy stuff he seemed to be carrying!

The youth was tall, definitely taller than Souji, and surprisingly didn't look Japanese, though it appeared he could speak the language. Girls would probably have called him striking and maybe good looking, but that was mainly due to his foreign looks and that dark red hair. His eyes though... his eyes seemed so _cold_. After handing a bag to Souji, the youth looked at him. He felt a slight chill, accompanied with a feeling that the youth was assessing him like a general sized up his freshly-minted recruits.

Souji suddenly laughed. "No need to go about staring Shin into the ground, Rei. Hasn't that look of yours gotten you in trouble already? You really have to learn how to stop looking at other people and giving them an impression that you're sizing them up. Most seniors will just think that you're either just challenging their authority or intentionally provoking them into a fight."

The youth called Rei grunted. "It doesn't matter," was all he said. Hell, even his voice was cold!

Shin stood up and cautiously offered his hand. "Nanjou, Shin Nanjou, first year."

Rei just stared, and after a few seconds gave a small nod. Those eyes were scary!

"Reinhardt Svensson. First year as well. Call me Rei. Souji, is this the other guy?"

Souji nodded gravely.

"_What was that all about?"_

Rei then handed him a heavy bag, similar to what Souji received.

"What's this supposed to be?" Shin asked incredulously.

"Stuff for scrubbing toilets, washing floors, wiping away dirt and grime… Simply put, you're with us. On cleaning duty for the next week or so. For being one of the last three to arrive," Rei said in that emotionless voice of his.

"Say what!?"

And so began Shin's new life as a first year student.

* * *

GLOSSARY:

_Philemon's Case Files  
_

_Case File 3501: Tatsuya Suo_

_Type: Human_

_MAIN ARCANA: SUN_

_Compatible Arcanas: CHARIOT, EMPEROR, DEATH_

_Persona ability: YES, but he no longer remembers  
_

_--Wild card/Can use multiple personas: YES  
_

_Affiliated persona: N/A, due to circumstances_

_Current whereabouts: Sumaru City_

_Description: Red-haired, tall, cool disposition, and extremely handsome; he is yearned for by both women and men alike._

***

_Case File 3504: Maya Amano_

_Type: Human_

_MAIN ARCANA: MOON_

_Compatible Arcanas: LOVERS, WORLD_

_Persona ability: YES, but..._

_--Wild card/Can use multiple personas: YES_

_Affiliated persona: N/A, due to circumstances_

_Current whereabouts: Sumaru City_

_Description: Pretty, peppy reporter for the entertainment magazine, Coolest. Her mantra of "Let's think positive!" has gotten her both into and out of trouble.  
_


	3. A Night to Remember

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series. Atlus owns that, lol. I do own this story though._

_Author notes:  
__1. Be advised that words that are italicized are the character POV's thoughts, or a voice in the POV's head, or music. The horizontal line denotes either a change in scenario, or a change in POV._

_2. D-Drive: Yup, it's set in 2012, and since you mentioned it, I decided to start including the time and place to the beginning of each POV's, just to make it easier to read. Thanks for sparking this idea!  
_

_ Blue Dragon: Well, it's been roughly twelve or thirteen years since the end of Persona 2 (since I believe the timeline has the P2 duology at 1999 and P4 at 2011-2012), so I reckon it's time to bring back the Crawling Chaos. Yeah!_

_3. Enjoy!_

_

* * *

_

_**"A Night to Remember"**  
_

_Friday, April 13, 2012  
Meguro International High, Boys' Dormitory, Dining Area  
End of 2nd week of classes_

_-7:00 pm-_

"You know what, senpai, I'll never take garbage collectors, janitors, and those dudes who go cleaning the streets for granted ever again."

It was just after dinner, and Shin and Souji were cleaning the dining area. Souji was wiping the tables and gathering the dinner plates while Shin swept the floors, readying it for a good scrub that had to be done quickly or they would be late for Friday's Movie Night.

"And I really mean it, senpai! I mean cleaning is hard work! This dining area is huge! Why'd they have to make it so big anyway? Plus a lot of people seem to be slobs when it comes to eating, so there's food all the floor!"

Souji chuckled. "Maybe if you work with your hands instead of with your mouth, you could finish the job easier. Complaining never solves anything, you know."

Shin laughed. "Sorry Souji-senpai, I just had to let that all out. I don't want to turn into 'Mr. Giant Wall of Ice' over there, who keeps everything to himself."

He glanced at the dirty kitchen where Rei was washing the pans and other cooking utensils, and shook his head.

"I really don't understand why all of you first years call him that," Souji replied. "He's just not very sociable, that's all."

"Not very sociable? Talking to Rei is like talking to a wall… actually, no, scratch that, talking to a wall may even be better! At least the wall doesn't give you chills whenever you look at it."

Shin didn't look up, but he could tell that Souji was sighing. He really couldn't understand how Souji could put up with Rei; Souji probably had the temperament of a saint!

But he had to admit, Souji was a very likable person. He was friendly, but wasn't overly sociable. He would drink and party, but he would always impose a limit on himself, whether it be so he wouldn't get drunk or so he could use his time wisely, usually by studying or going on that part-time job of his, whatever it was. Though his senpai seemed distant at times, and could be quite contemplative and preferred to be alone, you could never say that he was introverted. And he understood. Everyone needed some time to themselves.

Also, when Souji spoke, his words had a _weight_ to them; they made a lot of sense, were usually well-thought out and sometimes contained nuggets of wisdom. Souji was like Natsuhiko, his brother, except that senpai was less critical and accepted people for who they were. Shin respected that about him.

Now, there were some things that even Souji wouldn't talk about though, like his parents. He'd noticed that when they first met. Maybe they weren't on good terms? But Shin never looked into it, since Souji never pressed when he noticed he was going into realms that others didn't want to talk about. He had the maturity of an adult, and the empathy that went with it.

Mature. That was probably a good word to describe Souji. He was more mature, like he had seen more, heard more, _experienced _more, than others his age; in fact, he had the bearing of someone like his cousin, Kei. The bearing of a _leader._

Was that what the girls saw in him too? He seemed pretty popular among the ladies; in fact, just a few days ago, he saw three letters right by the door that had been sent by snail mail. Snail mail! The mere fact that it was sent that way meant that Souji was important enough to them that they wanted to send a physical letter, instead of just an e-mail. He didn't pry, as that would be rude, but he did see the names 'Yukiko Amagi', 'Chie Satonaka', and 'Nanako Doujima' on them. All female names. Interesting. Add that to the rumors that there were also some girls who had taken a liking to him in school, and it could be confirmed that the guy was a _bona fide_ ladies' man.

Souji's laugh brought him out of his reverie. "Maybe you, and pretty much every first year out there, are just experiencing, for the lack of a better term, jealousy?"

Shin frowned. It wasn't that he was jealous. Okay, maybe a little bit. Rei was quickly becoming a legend in Meguro International High; he singlehandedly defeated five different groups of seniors, both within and outside the school while being outnumbered; he was part of the top ten in class, which was coincidentally the same class as Shin's; he was capable of speaking multiple languages, English being one of them; and he was apparently so good-looking that a ton of first-year girls were chasing after him! And what really struck a chord was that everything he did seemed to be everyday business to him, while quite literally ignoring every single confession of love made to him by those girls! And they were _still_ fawning over him, despite that!

"You know senpai, the guy just doesn't seem… I dunno, natural. I mean, he might be an alien or a demon or a tentacle monster freak for all we know… he just seems _too perfect. _Don't they have a term for that, like a Gary Stu or something?"

Shin glanced at Souji. He seemed busy with his work, but there was a twinkle in Souji's eyes. He sighed. _"Just like Natsuhiko, he may not be laughing out loud, but his eyes suggest that he's laughing on the inside."_

Souji glanced at Shin and shook his head. "There's no such thing as perfect, Shin. Everyone's got their problems, everyone's got their faults… everyone has a shadow inside of them. Rei's no different than you or me, I'm sure of it. I've talked to him, and he's the type of guy that doesn't just go trusting others easily.

Actually Shin, if you think about it, everything makes sense. Even though he never speaks about his past, from his looks alone you can assume that he was born outside Japan, which could explain him knowing other languages apart from Japanese.

His fighting prowess may have been a product of him always looking as if he wants to challenge you. If he always looks and stares at people like that, which I have a feeling is pretty much the case even before he got here, then I'm sure a lot of people may have gotten pissed off at him in the past, which would lead to fights.

For the case regarding his academic ability, just think about it: he's in this school. It's pretty hard to get in if you don't have enough money or don't have connections; he looks like he has neither, so that would just mean that he must be really smart to have gotten himself enrolled here.

And on the subject of girls, I'm no expert, but they do say that girls go after the foreigners and the bad-boy types, and basing on Rei's appearance, he definitely fits both categories. But you know, 'A pink alligator always stands out more and gets more attention if the world around him is yellow; but the attention given to him could very well be negative as well as positive.' That was a premise for a book, you know."

Shin merely nodded. He'd read that book; it was one of his favorites, even until now, and he'd understood Souji's point. _"Damn, he reasons stuff out well. The guy would probably make a good lawyer or detective."_

As Souji finished loading the plates on the kitchen cart, he turned towards him. "Alright, I'll be taking these dishes back; you gonna be alright cleaning the floors? Rei and I will finish the dishes quickly and then we'll come to help you."

Shin just nodded again, deep in thought. _"Yeah, I guess Souji's right in a way, we have been getting a bit out of hand lately.. Not like Rei complains about it or anything… but maybe it won't really hurt to be a bit friendlier with him next time?"_

_

* * *

_

_Friday, April 13, 2012  
Meguro International High, Boys' Dormitory  
_

_-11:45 pm-  
_

Reinhardt leafed through the book, feeling a tiny bit annoyed. Despite the dormitory's library being in the basement, he could still hear the sounds of the party above. Parties didn't suit him, and he felt uncomfortable making conversation with people.

He was _exhausted_. This day consisted of waking up in the early hours of the morning for his regular workout at the gym next to the dormitory, followed by classes, followed by his part-time job, finally ending with working in the kitchens and cleaning.

Ending? He shook his head. No, there would be no rest for the weary. He also had to clean the living room together with Shinichi and Souji after that party above was over. He was certainly glad that cleaning duty would only last until tomorrow. And then another three-man group would take over for the next two weeks, while he would wait for the time when they would be in-charge of cleaning a portion of the gym. _The gym!_ He shuddered to think of how much work _that _was going to be. No, he would think about that another day.

He closed the book, and leaned back on the cushioned armchair he was currently sitting on. Maybe he could just manage with taking a small nap…

_Creak._

Reinhardt's eyes snapped open, and his body tensed. _"Danger? No, that's not possible."_

Being snuck up on wasn't a new thing for him. In fact, those experiences had taught him to become far more observant; he never took the external stimuli around him for granted. Any man who had lived his life as he had could easily get killed by the scent one never smelled, the sight one did not pay attention to, or the sound one never heard.

"I told you no one's here. They're way too busy with the party upstairs! Why did Ami have to bring us to this anyway?"

Reinhardt was surprised by soft voices coming from the stairwell going down to basement; they seemed to be girls! Girls were not allowed in this area! He moved from his seat to the couch directly across the door leading into the library, ready to rebuke the trespassers.

The door opened, and two girls stepped into the library, stopping in their tracks when they saw him staring at them.

"_Erika, the idol, and… a brunette that I don't seem to know. Probably from a different class."_

"Will you stop that?"

The girl who spoke up was the teen idol, Erika Aoi. If he remembered correctly, she was from class 1-B, the room right next to his and Shinichi's. She was quite famous at the school, but her fame was dying down because of rumors of her being too… slutty. Those rumors were probably false, as many truly were. Those were probably just spread by other females who saw her as competition. People could be quite vicious.

He stopped glaring and looked at the book he had previously been reading, but kept his peripheral vision on the two girls. _"Now, how to get out about scolding these girls..."_

Erika scowled. "You're really creepy, you know that?"

"I know," he replied simply.

The girls seemed a bit off balance; obviously they had expected him to argue with them.

Erika immediately recovered. "Let's go, Meimi. Ami obviously isn't here."

"You don't trust people much, do you?"

The question came from the brunette, the girl called Meimi. She was looking at him curiously.

He was tempted to ignore her, but decided against it. From the look of her, she was the type of girl that would probably keep asking questions till he gave her an answer. A very annoying type of girl.

"Trust? There's only two things you can trust: an unpredictable future, and a dead body." He stared her in the eyes.

She stared back, not even flinching. He looked away, surprised that he had done so. _"I don't know what people see when I glare back at them, but most people leave me alone or wilt under my stare. Most impressive, especially for a girl."_ The girl was nodding to herself in a satisfied manner, as if she had won some argument between them.

"How about your friends? Don't you trust them?" she continued.

"Friends?" He gave a hollow laugh. "I don't think I have any."

The girl smiled, and held out her hand. "Well then, why don't we be friends? Someone's got to teach you how to laugh, and how to cry… so I'll make sure that I do just that. Besides, if you keep this up, that face of yours will have a ton of wrinkles before you reach thirty. I'm Meimi Li."

"_Now _that _was surprising. I honestly don't know what to make of this…"_

He nodded, but Meimi frowned at him, immediately snatched his right hand and shook her own hand with it. "That wasn't very polite, you know… but I'll look it over just this once. You're name then?" she declared in a stern tone.

He stared at her, not knowing what to make of this strange girl. "Reinhardt Svensson. Call me Rei." She smiled at him approvingly, like a master encouraging her pet.

"_Who or what have I gotten myself entangled with?"_

_

* * *

_

_Friday, April 13, 2012  
Meguro International High, Boys' Dormitory_

_-11:51 pm-  
_

"You're really brave, you know that, Meimi? Rei is just plain creepy. I don't know what the rest of the girls see in him," Erika muttered.

Meimi just smiled. Outwardly, she was calm and positive. On the inside, however…

"_I have no idea what I just did, but apparently I just became friends with this 'Reinhardt Svensson' person. Am I sick? Am I going insane? My god, those eyes of his unnerving. So cold… and piercing. It was like they were digging holes right into my head. No wonder he gets into so many fights! When he confronted me I thought he was going to scare or attack me. I am still in one piece, aren't I?"_

Meimi tried to hide her shaking hands as she fixed her hair. _"Calm yourself, Meimi. Calm yourself. You're alive, and you clearly won that encounter. But… I do feel sorry for the guy, though. To not have any friends, to not be able to trust at all… his mind must be in hell constantly. How can anyone continue living without having anyone to trust? Is he still sane?"_

She had seen what lack of trust could do to a person. She had seen how it eventually tore apart the person's mind, making them completely paranoid, and alienating them from society. She had watched her own twin brother sink deeper and deeper into insanity, eventually disappearing from their family, never to be seen again.

She knew it wasn't her business to go about trying to reform Rei, but she could not let it go. _Would _not let it go. She would not see another Mamoru.

As they entered the living room once again, she noticed that the once bright lights of the living room were now dimmed once again, as if to watch another movie.

As she looked around the beautiful living room, she saw that the number of those present had now dwindled to nine. Most of them were second-years and third-years, but she did recognize the boy who had tried to hit on Erika earlier, Nanjou, talking with a classmate of hers, Junta Kobayashi. They had gathered around the gigantic LCD TV that was mounted on the dark red wall of the living room, and a senior looked to be hooking up a laptop to the TV, probably for display purposes. She and Erika took a seat beside the girl they were looking for, Ami Kobayashi, who was with her boyfriend, Faust Everton.

"What's this supposed to be?" Rei suddenly said from behind her.

She jumped in surprise. "Oh, it's just you, Rei. Don't scare me like that."

"Forgive me." Rei then headed over to the TV.

"Alright, party's over, it's almost midnight you know, and _some_ of us still have work to do."

A collective 'boo' erupted from the group, followed by accusations of being a 'party pooper', a 'kill joy' and a 'douche'.

"_He seems to be taking the accusations well. Too bad he has to go cleaning up after us. Maybe Erika and I should leave; that way we could be an example and others would leave with us."_

"Chill out, Rei. We'll just be here a few minutes, and then we'll be gone. We all know how much you love your cleaning duties," joked the guy setting up the laptop. Rei folded his arms, but said nothing and remained where he stood.

The senior hooking up the laptop then looked up, and started gesturing excitedly. "Okay, here's the deal; I wanted to show this to more people since a lot of people were curious about it and it's been the talk of the school."

Erika turned toward her. "What is this, Meimi? Does he mean that rumor about a strange video that's been going around I-tube recently? The one that's said to let you talk to ghosts?"

Meimi blushed. "Actually, I'm not really up-to-date with rumors and stuff like that. But… the video does seem interesting."

The student setting up the laptop continued. "As you all know, rumor has it that if this video is played right after 12 midnight, a ghost is supposed to appear before us and show each of us a glimpse of our future spouse. You know, kinda like in the Ringu movie, except it's currently circulating on the internet. Of course, rumor also has it that everyone who sees the video dies as well, but come on, this video's been out on I-tube for two whole weeks now, and there hasn't been any news about strange deaths or anything. It's probably all just a stupid prank, but at least we can tell everyone else at school that we've seen it!"

The lights suddenly went bright again. "Alright, everyone out. It's way past the allotted time for using the living room. Shin and Rei and I still have to clean this mess up."

The speaker was a gray-haired student with a no-nonsense face and tone. He looked tired. Was he a senior?

The crowd erupted to cries of 'aw, come on, senpai!' and 'just a few more minutes!', which surprised her. _"What a joke… when Rei scolds them, they see him as the bad gup; when this guy does it, they take it seriously."_

"Come on, Souji," the student operating the laptop pleaded. "Just five more minutes."

The guy called Souji just sighed. "Fine. Five minutes, Kouli. But all of you who don't have to leave the dorm stays with us here to help us clean." He then shut off the lights, crossed the room and took a seat behind the old but well-maintained grand piano.

Kouli gave a small victory pose and started the video.

The screen turned black. Meimi's heart started racing, though she could not tell why. Suddenly, a white figure was being traced on the screen; was it a circle? An oval? Foreign letters were slowly appearing on the bottom. English, perhaps?

"Hey Rei, that's English on the bottom, right? I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I'm pretty bad at it. Can you read it out loud? What does it say?" Kouli asked excitedly.

As the words materialized, Rei started reading them and translating them into Japanese.

"Gods and demons. Demons and gods. All are one. One in all."

The strange figure was mesmerizing. Meimi felt drawn to the circle, like an unknown force was pulling her towards it.

"Master Shadow, Master Shadow, please come to us."

Meimi could not stop gazing at the figure. She couldn't understand it, but it felt like she wanted to be with the figure. That without it, she could not live. Without it, she would die.

"Drown us in the sea of our unconscious. Pull us into the depths of our desires. Show us what we truly wish."

The figure was now transforming into something familiar. A face?

"Master Shadow, Master Shadow, please come to us."

Meimi blinked. And then she saw what was on the screen.

"_Wh-what? You're—"_

"Hello, Meimi."


	4. My Wish

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series. Atlus owns that, lol. But maybe if I worked in Atlus..._

_Author notes:  
__1. Be advised that words that are italicized are the character POV's thoughts, or a voice in the POV's head, or music. The horizontal line denotes either a change in scenario, or a change in POV._

_2. Enjoy!_

_

* * *

_

**_"My Wish"_**

_April ??_

_-??? am/pm-  
_

A gentle breeze blew past Souji Seta's cheek, and the smells of the countryside gradually filled his nose, awakening the memories of his time in Inaba. He opened his eyes gradually, and found himself staring at a white ceiling. As he sat up, he realized that he was in white room, possibly a hospital room, and the breeze that had awakened him had come from the window that had been left open. He breathed in the air; it was clean and pure.

"_This can't be the city… what happened? Why am I here? Where am I?"_

As he stood up to close the window, the door suddenly opened, and the familiar faces of his friends flooded in. There was Yosuke, with his unkempt hair and goofy smile; Yukiko, with her beautiful, flowing black hair, and her elegant yet naïve grace; Chie, with her cute face and tomboyish charm; Kanji, with his bleached hair and determined eyes; Rise, with her beautiful red locks and enticing smile; and Naoto, with her small smile and delicate features.

"Hey guys… I'm back." How he had missed them so much!

The next few seconds were a blur, with all the handshakes, hair ruffling, slaps on the back, endless chatter, and smiles. After all the loneliness and longing, he finally felt content.

He smiled. _"I'm finally home."_

"_Souji…"_

Souji cocked his head, but ignored the sound. A blue door had suddenly appeared in place of the door into his room, but for now, he didn't care.. He was too much in the moment.

Rise was hugging his right arm tightly. "I'm so happy to see you awake, senpai!"

"Souji! You're finally awake! We were worried sick!" Chie said excitedly.

"Souji-kun, I'm so glad to see you up and about again! Doujima-san never told us the exact details about the accident, just that he immediately brought you back here…" Yukiko said softly.

"I told you guys not to worry at all! He's our senpai! No small accident can drop him!" Kanji said confidently.

"Yeah right, Kanji," Yosuke said sarcastically. "You were practically panicking when Doujima-san brought us the news."

"But it really is good to see you again, Souji. The few days you were gone was really hard on us. You were a really big part of our lives," Naoto explained gently.

"_Souji Seta…"_

The blue door had vanished. Had he just imagined it?

Yosuke took out his phone and started dialing quickly. "Just wait a bit, Souji. We gotta call Teddie, Doujima-san and Nanako. I'm sure they'll want to see you!"

"_Finally… finally…"_

"_Finally… what, Souji? Did you not learn anything from your time in Inaba?"_

Souji put his hands to his head. Something was wrong.

"_Were you not a Seeker of Truth? What happened to the 'you' that sought to divide the truths from the lies? Or was that 'you' a lie as well?"_

"No… no… I want this…"

"_Have you become so blinded by your desires that you do not even see the lies before you?"_

Souji shook his head. _"That's… that's right. What's happening to me? I was… I was in the dormitory…"_ Why did it hurt so much to remember? _"A, a video… a video of some sort…"_

"_I am you, and you are me. However, you have blindly walked right into traps 'they' have placed… traps that I can see clearly. Why do you not enlist my help? Is it your wish to stay here? I will not stop you if that is your decision…"_

Souji stumbled across the room, towards the door. _"I... I'm not supposed to be here? What? Is that you… Izanagi? I don't understand…"_

As he turned around, he saw the faces of his friends. They looked so concerned, so… sad.

"Is there something wrong, Souji-kun?" That was from Yukiko, as she grabbed his left hand.

"Please sit down again, senpai. You're still not feeling well, right? You should get more rest," Rise exclaimed. She seemed to have tears in her eyes.

"_I… I can't do this. I can't go and leave them again! I can't go and say good-bye again! This is where I belong! Not in the city, where I can only hope to see more petty bickering and stupid jokes, more pain and loneliness!"_

"_In the end, it is your decision, Souji Seta. I wonder if you really learned anything at all from your mission in Inaba…"_

Souji remembered his last day in Inaba. All the tears, all the laughter… but they had all decided to move on… And that in the hope of moving on, they would one day see each other again as new, stronger individuals.

"_It hurts, Izanagi. It hurts to leave them again. I never really felt it during the departure, but the days that followed were torture. For years, I've always been distant towards others as I never truly stayed in one place for long… but Inaba was where I truly had friends. Inaba was where I truly had family. I had always thought that I had finally found a place to belong. To leave them again… it's like tearing a part of who I am and casting it away."_

There was only silence in his mind. He could feel Izanagi's tears, the same tears that he felt and shed.

_"I know."_

But it was time to move on.

The blue door once again materialized, and he stepped through, wiping the tears from his eyes.

* * *

_April ???  
???_

_-??? am/pm-  
_

Reinhardt opened his eyes, and found himself staring at a dull green-ceilinged wall. He remembered something about a video or some such, but it seemed unimportant. As he sat up, he realized that he was on a bed, in a familiar room. Of course.

He was home.

He hadn't been home for quite some time, and he was certain that his sister would be rebuking him again for the umpteenth time for not coming to visit, at least. His memory was a bit fuzzy on the details on how he got home, but it didn't matter. He was with his sister, and he was determined to spend some time with her, at least.

A knock came from the door outside his room, and he instinctively tensed himself.

"Rei! It's me! Aren't you awake yet? It's ten in the morning!"

Reinhardt allowed himself a small smile. _"It's so nice to hear your voice again, sis."_

He jumped out of bed and opened the door. His sister was waiting for him with a small tray of eggs with toast, a side portion of bacon and warm milk. His favorite breakfast menu.

"You shouldn't be up and about, Rei. Apparently an accident occurred in that dorm of yours, and you were brought here. Go rest on your bed!" his sister declared sternly.

"_What?"_

His sister was looking at him, a concerned look on her face. "Come on, Rei. Eat up. You look so pale. I was so worried about you when they brought you back here. I asked that you be brought to a hospital for a check-up, but they thought that you were fine and just needed some rest."

As he ate, he tried to remember the events of the night. _"Cleaning…? Why was I cleaning? And… a video? Why do I recall some sort of video? Was there some sort of electrical or technical failure? What type of accident was it?"_

"Sorry, sis. I've been a lot of trouble to you. I know you're busy too, so me being here…"

She hugged him tightly. "Don't worry about a thing, Rei. You're home, and that's all that matters. You can stay here all you like, or until you get better! I recently got a promotion at the company I'm working for, so we can afford to live a little better!"

As her arms went around him, he felt the warmth of home from his sisters hug. It was so comfortable. So calming.

So wrong.

The hug… was not possible. Was this a dream? _"No… this can't be…"_

He suddenly grabbed his sister's throat and slammed her to the ground next to the bed. He tried to stop the tears streaming down his face, but he couldn't. Doing this to his own sister was too painful, even for him.

"Who the hell are you? What have you done to my sister? Where am I?"

He steeled himself as he swung his hand for a punch. He hated what he was doing, and what he had become. His fist stopped an inch from her face.

"_Isn't this what you wanted? What you desired?"_

The voice hissed at the back of his mind, tempting him.

"_If you stay here, you could have all of this. Your _sister _can have all this. Isn't this what you desired? A wonderful life… a world of peace? I can give this all to you. Just stay. What could be simpler?"_

Reinhardt covered his ears, attempting to stop the voice from tempting him further.

"_No… this is all an illusion… stop this…"_

He knew this was false. He knew that this should have been impossible from the very beginning. But the myriad of voices which sounded like his sister, telling him to stay, sounded far too promising. He pounded his fist on ground, narrowly missing his sister who was now crying.

"_Get out of my head! I'll be the one to give my sister the life she deserves, not you! It's the least I can do, after everything she's sacrificed for me!"_

A door suddenly appeared before him. His sister's impostor grabbed onto him, pleading for him to stay, but he shook her off. He immediately opened the door, with no care to where it led, and dashed through it, avoiding the pained and accusing look in his sister's eyes.

* * *

_April ??  
???_

_-??? am/pm-  
_

He was king of the world.

Shin was in a hospital room at Tokyo, surrounded by letters wishing him well. A very pretty and sexy nurse came every hour to check on him and asked him if he needed anything, such as food, drinks, a tv in his own room, that sort of stuff. He even the nurses massage him at times, which was extremely awesome.

It looked like his luck was finally with him. That, or the Japanese way of electing a business' new CEO was screwed up.

It was all over the news lately. Kei Nanjou, owner of the group, was found dead at his mansion at Mikage-Cho. The board of directors then decided that it would be best if he, the Great Shin Nanjou, would succeed. After all, he was a genius that only appeared once a century; he could do anything, and he was good at everything.

He smiled. _"Ahhh… this is definitely the life. Something feels off though… wonder what that could be."_

He shrugged, and looked at his itinerary for today. _"So today I'll be visited by my family for a few minutes, then I'll be entertained by various pop idols, including Rise Kujikawa. Damn, I'm such a lucky bastard. Good thing I'm still at the hospital. It says here that I won't need to tend to the corporation till I get my strength back." _He gave a sigh of contentment. "_It's great to be the Great Me."_

The Great... Me?There was something wrong about that. Not that he cared of course. He was who he was. He suddenly saw a small golden butterfly float just at the reaches of his peripheral vision. Was he going insane?

"Ah, sire. How are you today?"

Shin blinked. The man before him was an old yet sturdy man, standing with a straight posture and bearing a very distinguished look. He was wearing the typical black suit and white shirt that he had seen his cousin Kei's now-deceased butler wear. _"I have a butler? Just how awesome am I?"_

He yawned, and gave the itinerary to his special butler. "Good… good. Maybe you can cancel the family visit and just get on with the pop idols' visit? I mean, you should never keep ladies waiting, right?"

"Very good, sire. I'll see to that at once." The butler took a bow and withdrew.

As soon as the door closed, Shin lied down on the bed once more, and looked to where he thought a butterfly had appeared. Nothing.

"_Well that was weird… but anyway, I like the sound of the Great Me. I'll start calling myself that from now on. Gotta make sure that everyone, including Mr. I'm-so-Perfect Rei, calls me that…"_

The world... shifted. Something was wrong. He immediately felt it. _"Rei? Who's Rei? I don't know anyone called Rei… wait… maybe I should I ask Souji to..."_

His head starting aching, as if he had bashed his head onto a wall one too many times. He felt dizzy and nauseous, and turned to the side of the bed to vomit, but nothing came.

"_Souji? Who's Souji? Was he one of the shareholders of the Nanjou Group? Agh, why do I keep remembering something about some stupid video? What the hell?"_

"I live… A PERFECT LIFE! I'm just living my dream!" he shouted.

"_That's right! This is your dream!"_ a voice suddenly hissed into his mind. _"This is _your_ desire._ Your _reality. Isn't it grand?"_

"_No such thing… as… perfect… Shin."_ This voice was distant, but was from a familiar origin. It felt _real. _The distant voice was... Souji?_ "Everyone… has troubles… problems… shadows…"_ The voice was becoming disjointed. Everything around him seemed to be unreal now, as if it was all truly just a dream. The shifting of the world had shaken him considerably.

Fearing a nightmare, Shin held onto Souji's words desperately. _"Is this some sort of twisted dream? What if I don't leave... will I never wake up? Besides… as nice as this all is… this can't be true. I know who I am better than anyone, and I now that I'm…"_

The hospital door was opening, and in came the various teen idols he had been scheduled to meet, one of them being his beloved Rise. They were cosplaying as nurses, and looked so hot… and behind them was a blue door. For some reason, he felt that the door was pulling at him.

"_OK, Shin… OK. Just have to get to that door. Don't want to die in a dream. Just have to get to that door. Don't want to die in a dream."_

As he walked towards the door, the idols started coming on to him, and teasing him, pulling off his clothes. _"NO! Just go through the door, and get out. Don't want to die in a dream."_ He couldn't believe he was running away from this! Running away from his dreams of power, money, authority, and girls!

But he had to do it. He didn't want to die.

He stepped through the doorway... and stared.

Shin was staring at a pitch black something. He couldn't tell what it was, because frankly, everything was too dark to see anyway.

"_At least I don't feel that strange sensation I did a while ago anymore. Wherever 'here' is should be better than that place."_

He started walking forwards, and was surprised to hear the sound of his footsteps and the creaking of wood underneath. Everything _felt_ real, wherever this was.

A spotlight suddenly shone down on him, blinding him for a while.

"Welcome, my dear guests."

At the same instant the strange voice came, he heard the calming sound of a piano, playing a piece that soothed his body and his mind. The song was both strangely bewitching and haunting, calming and mournful, as if it was an Aria that touched one's very _soul_.

A lady's voice suddenly joined the amazing piece, and the Aria felt complete. He turned around to speak to owner of the strange voice, and found himself face-to-face with two other people. Souji and Rei.

"What are you guys doing here?" they all asked, virtually at the same time.

Shin noticed something different about Rei. His face was not as hard as it had been when he last saw him, and he could tell that Rei had just cried due to the redness in his eyes, hard as that was to imagine. Then again, he also noticed a wetness on Souji's cheeks, and wondered about that as well. He would have to ask Souji about it later.

"Ah, my dear Souji, it is a pleasure to see you again."

A multitude of other spotlights suddenly shone down on the area, and Shin realized that they were standing on what looked to be wooden stage used primarily for those musicals or maybe for opera. There was even a Velvet curtain hanging in front of them!

A little off to the side of the stage was an old, long-nosed man sitting on a huge and very comfortable-looking armchair. At his side was a tall, beautiful pale-haired woman, possibly in her mid-twenties, wearing an elegant blue dress. Behind them was the source of the music of the area, a grand piano, operated by what looked to be person wearing a blindfold and another beautiful pale-skinned lady, possibly in her thirties, wearing small ear muffs.

"_Now how the hell does that dude on the piano even play? The guy looks blind! And that lady! How can she even hear the music with those ear muffs on? Am I still in a dream? Then I'd better find a way out fast!"_

Souji, however, walked towards the long-nosed man, and gave a small nod towards the beautiful pale-haired woman. He smiled.

"It's been a while, Igor, Margaret. I'm afraid I'm not acquainted with the other two individuals behind you two."

"Ah, yes." Igor, presumably the one with the long-nose, interlaced his fingers. "You have never met them, as you have only entered the Velvet Room alone. But now, you have other guests with you as well."

The blindfolded man gave them a small nod. _"How does he know where to look?"_ Shin wondered.

"I am called 'Nanashi.' Both my sight and my true name have been lost in the midst of time… but what does it matter? I am he who weaves the music that opens the closed hearts of our dear guests."

The beautiful singer also gave them a nod. "I am called Belladonna. I sing for those that challenge the monster known as oneself. My purpose is to soothe your hearts. To do this, I strain to hear nothing but the music that swells within you." She had such a melodic voice! He felt as if he could listen to her talk all day long, and never grow tired of it.

A rather large and comfy-looking sofa appeared before Igor and Margaret. "I welcome you once again, Souji Seta." Igor suddenly looked at Rei. "And you as well, Reinhardt. It has truly been a long time since you arrived here, longer than even our friend here, Souji. We almost could not reach you."

Shin glanced at Rei, and saw that the old Rei, the one with a wall-like disposition, had finally returned. He walked towards the sofa and took a seat beside a surprised-looking Souji.

"Is that number three thousand seven hundred and forty-seven? Reinhardt Svensson? It has been a while," the blind piano player added.

"Yes, it's me, Nanashi. You still play as well as you always do."

"And yet you are different now, Reinhardt. I wish these eyes of mine could have seen what you saw, to make you change so much."

Igor finally turned to Shin. "And finally, our new guest. Come and take a seat."

Shin moved forward and took a seat beside Rei. He nodded at Igor and smiled at Margaret, and both gave him the same.

"I'm sure that as returning guests, you have no need of more introductions, but please bear with me as I explain some things to our new guest…"

"Shinichi Nanjou."

Igor chuckled. "Yes, Shinichi Nanjou. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Igor. And this is my assistant, Margaret."

The beautiful lady bowed her head again, and Shin bowed back. "Pleased to meet you."

"This place exists between the realms of dreams and reality, mind and matter. It is a room only those bound by a contract of fate may enter."

Shin sat up straight, and tried to make sense of what the mysterious old man was saying. _"So what does this have to do with me?"_

Igor continued. "It would seem that we are on the cusp of a great calamity. It has been years since we have been allowed multiple guests to come inside the Velvet Room, and yet now, a greater amount of individuals bound by a contract have started to emerge. These are mysterious times indeed."

Igor turned to Rei and Souji. "Both of you were called in the past to fulfill a destiny that was thrust upon you, whether it be by fate or by circumstance. However, in the coming days, it would seem that a heavy burden will be placed upon your shoulders once more. And so I am once again here, should you need help."

"I never enlisted your help the last time. I got by on my own," Rei exclaimed. "Why bring me into this now?"

Igor frowned. "You have the potential. That is all that matters. All three of you have the ability of the 'Wild Card', an ability that is manifest in the number zero. It is both nothing, and a base for an infinite amount of possibilities."

Margaret suddenly whispered something to Igor, and he took out a blank card. "Time grows short. Already, the chaos has begun spreading throughout your world." He turned to Rei. "It will be entirely your decision if you wish to partake of the destiny that will be thrust upon you this day. I only ask that you consider your decision well, and take full responsibility for your actions."

Igor then handed the card to Margaret, who in turn handed it to Shin. The card was plain on one side, and had a design on the back depicting a face with half a side colored in white, and the other in black.

Shin suddenly felt a sensation of being pulled, as if his abdomen had been hooked onto a fishing line and he was being reeled in. As the Velvet Room disappeared into the darkness, he decided that he'd be _interrogating_ Souji and Rei once he woke up.

"And so we must part. To conquer the chaos, I advise that you all make use of this Velvet Room. Until we meet again... Farewell."

* * *

_GLOSSARY:_

_Meguro City Police Personnel Data_

_File id: NN-L33T_

_Name: Nanjou, Natsuhiko_

_Age: 26_

_Height: 178 cm_

_Info: Eldest child of Kotaro Nanjou. Even at such a young age, was hailed as a prodigy, and was expected to gain the control of the Nanjou Group. However, the breaking of the Kirijo Group from Nanjou compounded by other financial woes forced the then CEO, Kotaro Nanjou, to resign, allowing Kotaro's brother, Takeshi, to take over.  
_

_When asked however, Natsuhiko always said that he never had plans on taking over the Nanjou Group. He says that his dreams have always led him to becoming a detective, and at the age of 16 had already graduated from high school, going under apprenticeship at the Kuzunoha Detective Agency in Sumaru City. He was assigned to Meguro City at age 20, and has completed numerous high profile cases. He says that his inspiration to becoming a detective stemmed from the well-known historic figures Kyouji and Raidou Kuzunoha.  
_

_Likes: Miso, Curry, reading books, teasing his brother  
_

_Dislikes: overly serious people, bland food_


	5. Golden Eyes

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series. Atlus owns that, rofl.  
_

_Author notes:  
__1. Be advised that words that are italicized are the character POV's thoughts, or a voice in the POV's head, or music. The horizontal line denotes either a change in scenario, or a change in POV._

_2. D-Drive: The cast of the entire series is fairly large, so a majority of them will only either be mentioned, have short appearances, or have minor roles. A small number (like Souji here) will be playing a bigger role, though. I plan on sticking with these POV's for a while, so please don't expect me to suddenly jump into the head of anyone else anytime soon (though I will think on it)._

_3. Enjoy!_

_

* * *

_

**"Golden Eyes"**_  
_

_Meguro International High, Boys' Dormitory_

_-time unknown-  
_

"What is this!? It's incomplete!"

"A failure, perhaps?"

"No, just a side effect of the ritual. We can finish the job, once the light of the moon sets."

Shin awoke to the sound of familiar voices in the room. As he groaned and opened his eyes, he saw that he was still seated beside Junta, who was sleeping with his head down, drool dripping onto his shirt. Looking around, he noticed Souji lifting himself from the piano and rubbing his eyes, while Rei was shaking his head, clearly attempting to gather himself after what had just happened. Everyone else appeared to be sound asleep.

"_Where did those voices come from? Was I dreaming?"_

He shook himself. Though the voices sounded familiar, he was still only mildly conscious, so he wasn't as certain as he could have been.

"Strangers. I couldn't tell who they were. They ran right past me, I think. I'm pretty sure I heard voices," Shin said as he pushed himself up. "Should we follow?"

"No. It's probably best to call the police and tell them that intruders got into the dormitory. Was anything stolen?" Souji replied. He then took out his cell phone to make the call, and frowned.

Shin went over to Souji. "Is something wrong, senpai?"

"My phone… it's not working. Must be out of battery. Could one of you make the call?"

Shin looked at his phone and felt a slight chill. His phone wasn't working either. In fact, everything in the living room seemed to be turned off. The TV, the laptop, the lights…

"_The lights!?"_

Rei walked over to the switch, and flipped it a number of times. "Strange. We can see each other, but the lights aren't working at all. Where does the dim green light come from, then?"

After a few moments of silence, all three of them headed towards the front door of the dormitory. Shin could feel his heart pounding as they slowly crept towards the door. _"What's happening? What's going on? Damn, are we really doing this?"_

As they stepped outside, the first thing they saw was the sky. Instead of the usual starless expanse of blackness that was normally seen here in the city, it now radiated a blood-red color, creating an extremely dreary and haunting impression, especially when the color of the sky reflected on the surface of the ground, making it seem like every building was now drenched in blood. The large, full moon and the few clouds that were now perfectly visible gave off a dull green color, in a way contrasting the evening sky but also serving as a complement to the heavy and forbidding atmosphere.

Shin stared at the sky, eyes wide in surprise and terror. "What is this? Is it the end of the world?"

"Oooh, that would be so sad, now wouldn't it?" said a voice dripping with sarcasm. It had come from a figure with a mask, standing a few feet away with two other individuals. The figures laughed.

"Oooh, I don't wanna die… but honestly, if I get saved, why should I care if everyone else does dies? I mean, what are they to me? Besides, the more people who die or are gone, the better, right? No more helping out those idiots from poorer nations; nobody really cares about them! People only act all charitable and helpful to make themselves look good and to stroke their ego."

Shin took a step back. _"That voice… that laugh… it's really similar to mine… who is he?"_

"Also, you know what? I wish more of those too rich or too powerful or too talented were gone… their the main reason why the world is such a terrible place right now, with all these wars, and diseases, and corrupt politics... They're all so selfish and self-centered... those bastards. The only person who deserves to live... is me." Shin could tell the masked figure was smiling deeply.

"Am I right… Shinichi?" The masked figure laughed again.

The man's words had struck a chord with him, though he didn't want to admit it. "Sh-shut up!"

"Ooooh? But you're only saying that because you have companions with you, right? Because deep down, that's how you really feel…"

The masked man jumped back as a black cloaked figure wielding a huge lance suddenly emerged and took a quick swing. The masked man landed slowly, as if something was supporting him and was gently settling him onto the ground.

Souji immediately placed himself before Shin, as if shielding him from the masked intruder. "Don't listen to him, Shin."

One of the other masked individuals stepped forward. "Look at you! Helping out your juniors... why though? Why help out these poor children that can't even do anything themselves, these idiots that still like going about their petty games and childish squabbling? They're not worth your time and effort. Stop being so saintly! It's not like they'll ever be able to replace your dear friends from Inaba, right? Better to just leave them be and take care of yourself, wouldn't you agree, Souji Seta?"

"So you're all shadows, hm?" Souji's tone had taken a dangerous edge.

All three masked figures laughed. They removed their masks, and…

Shin looked at the strangers, eyes wide. The three strangers were an exact replica of the three of them, with only a slight variation: golden eyes. He shuddered when he looked into those eyes, as they seemed too knowing, as if they knew exactly how he felt…

"_Wh-why am I looking at myself? What's going on here?" _

All three spoke in unison. "We bring out the truths that you wish to hide. We are shadows. The true self."

The Souji look-a-like smiled. "And after we're done with you, our ascension out of the Abyss will be complete. Don't worry, we'll live your life, just the way you desire it to be. After all, we _are _you."

All three crushed their respective masks in their hands, and the particles of each mask gathered and coalesced into three distinct creatures.

"What is this?" whispered Rei. "They have Personas too?"

"No time for worrying about that!" shouted Souji, as the creature that came from Souji's duplicate threw a lightning bolt at them. "You have to run, Shin! Hide somewhere!"

Fear gripped him, and he ran.

* * *

_Meguro International High, Outside of the dormitory_

The Persona that appeared before him was like his own Izanagi; the only differences were the huge cracks on its mask and the spots of blood on its cloak and lance. Lightning bolts from the Shadow Izanagi's lance danced through the air, attempting to hit either Rei or Shin. Souji immediately covered the retreating Shin, nullifying the Zionga spell, while Rei dodged the bolt that was coming towards him.

"_Shadows with a persona? And they're definitely not like Teddie; they've retained the quality and mentality of the shadows I've faced… what's going on?"_

Izanagi immediately reached back and let loose a single swipe, in turn creating blades of wind that attempted to strike the enemies; however, the three Shadows nimbly leapt out of the way of his Blade of Fury.

"Rei, don't you use some sort of physical or magical skill?" he called out.

Souji noticed that Rei's focus never wavered on the fight despite him calling out, a common mistake that the Seekers of Truth had done when they were new in the battle against the shadows. Rei definitely seemed like he knew his way around a battlefield.

"Sorry Souji, I haven't really used my Persona much at all, and whenever I do make use of it, it's normally just for the buffs Tarukaja and Rakukaja."

The three Shadows suddenly split up their attack and began assaulting them from three different sides.

"_Izanagi! Blade of Fury again! We have to scatter them; if they surround us it'll be to their advantage!"_

Another round of wind blades tried to reach the Shadows, but were easily dodged. He had planned on switching personas, but he hadn't seen any of the other Shadows' attacks as of yet to make a fair judgment on which persona to use; also, doing so now would cost them valuable seconds, and without support, it would be too risky.

"Watch out, Souji!"

An arrow of air was speeding towards his head, one that was far too close to evade.

"_Damn it! If I get hit…" _He grit his teeth and steeled himself for the blow that was to come.

Rei knocked him out of the way, taking the Garula arrow straight in the face. The force knocked Rei down, but he immediately rolled to his feet a few meters away, carefully scanning his surroundings as he got back up. He was bleeding from a gash on his forehead.

"My Persona, Gilgamesh, nulls Earth attacks and is strong against Wind, so I don't mind taking hits like that for you. They still damage me though. It's your doppelganger's Zio attacks that I have to worry about."

He dashed over to Rei and helped him up. "I say we retreat, and find a better position for ourselves. We're at too much of a disadvantage here."

Rei's Shadow suddenly came from behind them and gave them a kick, which Rei tried to block; however, the force of the blow was too strong, and he was knocked back. Izanagi then attempted to slice the shadow, but it immediately dodged and its movements were covered by numerous Garula arrows from Shadow Shin.

"Time to die, Souji Seta."

He hadn't noticed his Shadow creeping up from behind! As he turned, he saw his Shadow go flying from a punch by Rei.

"Thanks for covering me. Tarukaja-powered?"

"Yeah. That shadow of mine probably got me a while ago by using the same thing."

Streaks of Garula arrows once again filled the air, and the both of them were forced to dodge. The two other shadows quickly advanced on them as they did so.

"They're working well together, and they have us outnumbered. Where should we retreat to, Souji?"

Souji looked at the top of the dormitory. He had thought of a plan.

* * *

_Meguro International High, Men's Dormitory Rooftop_

"_This can't be happening! This is probably just another dream… wake up, Shin, wake up! Or else…"_

Shin had run away from the insane battle that had started between those creatures and the duo of Souji and Rei, who obviously weren't normal teenagers. Not once did he turn back to see what was happening; it was all about self-preservation at this point. He was an ordinary guy, leading an ordinary life!

He was now curled up in a ball, hiding on the roof of the boys' dormitory, behind the doorway that led up to it. His heart raced while cold sweat trickled down all over his body. There was a wetness down between his thighs where he had peed his pants as he ran towards dormitory, but that was to be expected, when faced against those monsters! The sounds from the battlefield could still be heard from where he was, but he tried to ignore the very existence of his predicament by covering his ears and closing his eyes.

"_Maybe given enough time, this nightmare might go away?"_ He hoped from the bottom of his heart.

"_Besides, I can't hang with the likes of those! I'm just an ordinary guy! Shit, shit, shit! Why does this stuff have to happen to me! Why couldn't it be Junta or Kouli or any of those other guys inside! Why me!?"_

The moment he saw the eyes of his doppelganger, he knew that the creature knew everything about him. Seeing that _thing,_ that shadow, was like looking at himself in the mirror, except that the reflection refused to follow his movements. However, what really shocked and frightened him, what really caused him to run, was the feeling that those eyes conveyed; the eyes of his shadow told him that it craved, no, lusted, for Shin's death. It was like looking at the inevitable bullet that would soon be lodged into his brain; he longed to be away, because if that moment ever came he would die, and the shadow would _become_ him.

As time passed, he soon realized that the noises below had come to a stop. As he opened his eyes and started crawling towards the edge of the roof to see what was happening, the door suddenly opened.

Shin instinctively fell flat on his belly and covered his head with hands, shaking uncontrollably.

"Please, don't kill me!" he shouted, voice shaking.

"What a pathetic sight."

_"Rei. It's Rei's voice. Holy shit, I never thought that I'd be so happy to hear that cold voice of his, but here we are..."_

He immediately crawled towards Rei. "I'm so glad, I thought I was about to die!"

Rei's voice was ice. "Are you a complete moron? Do you really just let your guard down just like that, scampering towards me like a spineless idiot? Didn't it ever cross your mind that I could be one of those Shadows?"

He froze, and looked straight into Rei's eyes.

_"They're normal! Not the golden color of that monster who looked like me… they're blessedly normal!" _He thought his heart had stopped for a moment there!

He stood up, a bit embarrassed at the way he acted earlier.

"Hmph. So useless. I wish that Igor had chosen someone else. Even those people that had been summoned with me to the Velvet Room were a lot braver than you, and I was only eight years old at the time. At this point, you're nothing more than a liability."

He could sense the contempt from Rei's words even though he said them in a straight monotone voice.

"_Who does this guy think he is? Not everyone's as great and brave as he is! The fucker!"_

Shin clenched his fists and started stalking towards Rei. "Liability, huh? So what? I'm only trying to stay alive here!" he shouted, his voice choking.

"Trying to save your own skin. Typical soft rich kid. You could at least try to figure out why you were given that card by Igor, instead of just hiding around and not helping at all."

Shin's face reddened in anger and embarrassment. "And what was I supposed to do? Not everyone is as high and mighty and as good as you! Not everyone has super powers like you and Souji—"

A figure suddenly came over the side of the dormitory, and dull green arrows flew through the air, hitting him squarely on the left shoulder and both thighs and piercing Rei on his right leg and arm. Blood started pouring out of the wound and he screamed in pain.

"Well, well. Here you are, Shinichi Nanjou."

The voice was his. It was the sound of death. He didn't want to die!

His Shadow then called upon a humanoid creature with wings, which then shot those green arrows against him and Rei.

Suddenly, the world seemed to go tumbling. Initially, he was staring at the arrows coming right for his head; at the next instant, he was hurtling over the edge of the dormitory, Rei right above him.

_"I'm going to die!"_

He felt a hand grasp his arm tightly, and a sharp tension stung his shoulder as the drop he had been expecting was suddenly cut short. As he looked up, he saw Rei holding onto a window ledge with his left hand as his right hand was clinging onto his arm, blood dripping down from the wound that those arrows had caused a few moments before. They dangled precariously, and Shin tried his best not to look down.

"I'm too tired for this, even with Tarukaja. I can't believe I'm saving deadweight," he heard Rei mumble.

Rei then lost his hold on the ledge, and they plummeted towards the ground below.


	6. Icarus

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series. Atlus owns that, rofl.  
_

_Author notes:  
__1. Be advised that words that are italicized are the character POV's thoughts, or a voice in the POV's head, or music. The horizontal line denotes either a change in scenario, or a change in POV._

_2. Enjoy!_

_

* * *

**"Icarus"**  
_

_Meguro International High, Boys' Dormitory Rooftop  
Time Unknown  
_

Souji opened the door up to the roof. His plan had to work. Rei would lure Shin's Shadow onto the roof, where he would engage him in a small skirmish, while he placed his Rakunda and Sukunda traps along the passage going up to the roof. He would then engage the enemy with Rei in a two-on-one scenario, hopefully defeating the Shadow before the others could reach the roof.

He had taken note of the Shadows movements at the previous engagement. Shadow Shin had better evasion than his and Rei's shadow, and its winged persona seemed to give him an ability to either jump higher and longer than normal, as well as create a pocket of air below him, making him much more maneuverable after getting knocked down.

It was definitely strange. All of the previous Shadows he had faced in the Midnight Channel were all like monsters and demons, even those that had come from his friends. Those Shadows were unnaturally strong and fast, and had certain abilities that made them dangerous to go up against. But the base form of these Shadows seemed to be limited to what an average person was capable of, only being enhanced by the power of their own Shadow personas. It was like they were still incomplete.

Well, it made life a bit easier then, since that would mean that they could fall and get hurt just like any other human. And so, it would also make sense that Shadow Shin would get atop the roof faster than the other two using its wind-based persona.

As he went through the door, his heart sank as he saw Rei knocking Shin out of the way of the Garula arrows; however, one of the arrows had caught his left foot, taking his balance away and causing both him and Shin to topple right over the edge of the building.

"_They're too far! I can't save them!"_

He ran towards the falling duo, and could only watch in horror as the two went over the edge completely.

"Those two are done for. I'm certain the same can be said for you." Shin's Shadow laughed, the sound echoing in his ears.

The Shadow's persona shot those arrows again. He didn't care.

He had already switched personas.

A beautiful gold figure that was made up of three one-winged women appeared, holding an ancient clock between them. The Garula arrows hit him, but did no damage at all.

At first he felt hollow and empty. Then a rising anger seemed to bubble up from deep within him. He had never allowed shadows to cause life-threatening harm to his friends in Inaba. He had always done whatever he could to protect them. He had always been there for them. But now...

"_I… couldn't do anything… I virtually sent Rei to his death…"_

Now two of his comrades had just fallen right in front of his eyes. And he was to blame, for not making a good assessment of Rei's capabilities and basing his judgment on it.

The Shadow was just staring at him, trying vainly to damage him using its puny arrows.

His eyes hardened, and he clenched his fists. "Rei… Shin… I'll make sure that your deaths aren't in vain."

* * *

"_So this is it? Shit! There's so much more that I want to do!"_

Shin closed his eyes. He didn't want to see what would be his final resting place in the next few seconds.

A tiny voice suddenly reverberated in his head._"I am you…"_

Shin shuddered visibly. He hoped that death would come quickly, and that he wouldn't have to feel a lot of pain.

The voice grew stronger, and spoke once again. _"And you are me…"_

"_Am I going crazy? I've started hearing voices in my head!"_

"_If you don't want to die, then open your heart to me and call out my name!"_ The loud voice echoed in his head.

"_I don't want to die! You say you can save me? How do I call you out?"_

"_You know what, you've always known how. The day every human was born in this reality, they've known. It's just that all of you have forgotten."_

Shin opened his eyes, and saw that his left hand was holding the blank card Igor had given him. He then noticed a small word at the bottom, and decided to say it out loud. It felt… right.

"_Per… so… na."_

Shin felt a great force rushing out of him, like a gigantic river gushing out of a dam that had just broken. He felt a heightened sense of awareness around him: he could feel every bead of sweat that was left on his body and the sharpness of the wind as he fell; with his eyes he could see…

"_Oh shi—"_ He could clearly see the ground as he sped towards it!

"_I am Icarus. Now, normally I'd go on to say stuff about where I come from and all that, but this doesn't seem to be the time. Instead, I'll lend you a bit of my power."_

Though he was still hanging onto Rei's arm as they fell, Shin suddenly felt… lighter. As if a hundred pounds had suddenly been taken off his weight. He could also feel a small pocket of air beneath him, swirling and supporting his body. The speed of both of their drops gradually slowed down, and seconds later, he felt the gentle earth beneath him.

He turned to his side and saw Rei on his knees, still clutching at his arm.

He didn't move. With his back on the ground, he could feel the granite of the floor; he could feel every pebble that stuck onto his neck and arms as he remained in that position. He was still breathing hard, and he could feel the cold sweat that had formed due to that fall. His heart, which had been beating hard a few seconds ago, was starting to slow down. He then took a huge breath.

"_It feels good to be alive!"_

He closed his eyes. _"Icarus… thanks. What are you, anyway?"_

The voice snickered. _"I'm one of the masks that you humans wear when faced with hardship and fear. I am one of the multitude of beings that come from the sea of your soul; however, I have a certain affinity to you as I represent a greater portion of your psyche. I am your Persona."_

"_Persona, huh? Is that what Souji and Rei and those monsters use as well?"_

Though he could not see Icarus, he could tell that it was nodding. _"Yes, those two are Persona-users as well."_

He suddenly felt a shoe dig in to the side of his body.

"_Agh! Being able to feel much clearly apparently means that pain gets amplified as well!"_

"Hurry and get up, Shin. This is no time to be sleeping," Rei said urgently. He felt another shoe dig in to his side, this time hitting him with more force.

He opened his eyes and sat up immediately. "Fuck, Rei! Can't you give me some peace and—"

The ground was splattered with blood, the trail leading to Rei that was on his knees a few meters away. His breath was getting labored, the wounds he had sustained earlier were bleeding profusely, and he was beginning to pale, as it looked like had lost too much blood. Directly in front of Rei was Rei's Shadow Self, and its hands were covered in blood.

Shin reached out without thinking.

"Garu!"

Icarus once again materialized and created a green bow out of the wind around him. He then let loose a few arrows that hit Shadow Rei at the back of the head and along its spine, the force knocking him forwards.

Rei then immediately threw an uppercut which sent the Shadow's head straight up, following it with a tackle that took the monster down. Rei then mounted his Shadow and started bashing its head into the ground with his fists. After a few punches, the Shadow's face had caved in and was completely unrecognizable, as it looked like a jumbled mess of bones and flesh and blood.

Shin suddenly felt sick. The contents of his stomach had started churning when Rei had thrown his first punch right at the monster's face, and seeing the messy face of the Shadow, he felt that all the food he had eaten during dinner was now coming up his throat. He instantly doubled over and vomited.

"_Just what the hell is Rei?! Doesn't he feel sick doing that? That Shadow looks just like a human being! Hell, it looks like it even has bones and muscles and—"_

He didn't want to think about it anymore.

He suddenly heard a sound of a faint fall, and saw that Rei had fallen face first onto the ground, appearing to lose consciousness. As he hurried over, he felt a sudden jolt from behind, followed by the feeling of a million needles lodging themselves into his skin all over his entire body over and over again. He fell to his knees and cried out in agony.

"Not paying attention to your surroundings. Such a rookie mistake."

He turned his head, and saw the golden eyes of Souji's Shadow. Its persona was holding a gigantic blood-soaked lance, and an electric current was flowing through it and directly onto his back.

As the current subsided, Shadow Souji smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure that a simple Zio won't be enough to kill you. I'm going to keep casting it on you until you scream yourself hoarse and you fry to a crisp."

Shin tried standing up, but his knees immediately buckled under him. Taking that hit had sapped away a large portion of his strength. He was unaccustomed to moving his body when he was too tired and was in too much pain.

"_Icarus…"_

"_You've got to hang in there, Shin. Don't lose focus, or you'll lose the added protection I'm giving you if I disappear!"_

"_Shit… Just when I thought everything would be ok…"_

A ball of light suddenly descended on Shadow Souji, which it promptly avoided by evading to the side. Upon reaching the ground, the ball of light created a small, bright explosion, nearly reaching the surprised Shadow.

Shin shielded his eyes from the light. A few seconds later, he heard someone step right beside him.

"_Souji? No… it's different…"_

The man standing over him was tall and blonde, wearing an unkempt and untucked white shirt and black dress pants. His pale skin seemed to glow in the dull green moonlight. The man looked over to him, and he immediately recognized the face as one of the second years in the dormitory.

"Faust-senpai!"

The young man merely nodded, focusing his attention once again at the enemy. Souji's Shadow immediately launched its Persona towards them, blade at the ready.

"Come, Azrael!" Faust declared.

An angelic figure wearing pure black priest's robes with a red serpent wrapped around its body suddenly appeared in the darkness and engaged with the enemy with its own blade. Sparks flew as the two Personas clashed blades, but in a few seconds it was clear that the enemy's Persona was clearly superior in close combat, easily batting away Azrael's slashes.

"_Now's our chance, Icarus! Hit it with Garu!"_

The arrows of wind sailed through the air piercing right through the Shadow's Persona and hitting Shadow Souji squarely in the chest. The Shadow staggered backwards, but before it could recover, another bright ball of light descended on it, followed by another bright explosion. When the light subsided, the enemy was nowhere to be found.

"_It's… gone? We defeated it? We defeated that… monster?"_

A warm feeling spread through Shin, and he lay down on the ground in a heap. His head hurt, every single muscle in his body ached, his heart was still pounding like it wanted to jump out of his chest, but he felt relief.

"_It's over! This nightmare is over! I'm… I'm alive!"_

His eyes suddenly felt heavy, and as he closed them, the last thing he saw was Faust sitting over to his side, with a look of concern on his face.


	7. The Right Tool for the Job

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series. And with a New Year... I still don't own it, coz Atlus does.  
_

_Author notes:  
__1. Be advised that words that are italicized are the character POV's thoughts, or a voice in the POV's head, or music. The horizontal line denotes either a change in scenario, or a change in POV._

_2. Enjoy!_

_

* * *

_

**_"The Right Tool for the Job"_**

_???  
Time unknown_

"I welcome you again, Shinichi Nanjou."

Shin realized that he was once again sitting on the familiar sofa in the place that was called the Velvet Room. The intensely bright spotlights focused on him and the speaker before him, dimming the rest of the environment, though he could still make out the blind piano player and the singer, not to mention the hot lady in the blue dress whom he remembered was known as Margaret.

Igor smiled. "It would seem that it was Icarus who heeded your call. He is now your Persona to command, as you see fit. In addition, as I said before you and your two friends are… special. All three of you are Wild Cards, and have the ability to dive into the sea of your unconscious and retrieve different Personas for you to command. I am certain that you will be needing this for the future that is to come."

"Future… that is to come? What do you mean? Do you mean to tell me that there'll be more of those things?" Shin asked, puzzled.

Igor frowned, and interlaced his fingertips. "The chaos is encapsulating your world, it seems."

"It seems? You're not sure?"

"We who reside in this Velvet Room have existed for a long time, and have seen a countless number souls and a countless number of destinies play out, both good and ill. However, something differs now. Something… interferes with our ability to see and judge the threat… and that is a threat in and of itself."

"_What the hell is this guy talking about?"_

Igor then shook his head, and smiled once again. "But that is a telling for another day. I have called you here again to offer you my services, should you require them. Some Personas may not respond to you as Icarus has if you call; however, that is what I am here for."

Igor then gestured at the table in front of them, and Shin noticed the innumerable blank cards that were laid out.

Shin stared at Igor. "And what are we supposed to do here? Play the card game Memory?"

"These are the countless possibilities that exist in the sea of your soul. In time, each of these will fill out as you gain more control over the power of the Persona. My job is help you awaken the rest of the possible Personas that you may wield in battle, either by experience or through the method of fusion."

Igor then cocked his head, as if hearing a sound from a far-off place. "Ah, it seems that our time is at an end. I pray that you make use of my services, just as Souji Seta did. It will be an invaluable tool. Until then, good-bye."

* * *

"Still nothing?"

"No, I checked, and the doctor said that Rei woke up and was released yesterday. The others though…"

Shin opened his eyes and started stretching his arms.

"_Wait… I was injured. Why no pain?"_

He looked around the room and saw both Faust and Souji standing near the doorway, talking among themselves. The two hadn't seen him wake, and he took the opportunity to wriggle his toes and stretch his muscles a bit. His body still felt weak, but that could be remedied with some food.

"Hey." Souji had finally noticed him, and was grinning. "Nice to see you finally up again. How are you feeling?"

Shin smiled. "Meh, same old, same old. Feels like I've been sleeping for so long though. Did I at least get a good-looking nurse or doctor to take care of me?"

Faust chuckled. "You wish, pal."

Shin laughed. _"Everything's back to normal! Yes! I guess that Igor guy was wrong then."_

"The doctor says that you were just under a lot of fatigue. Apparently, you just needed a lot of rest," Souji noted.

"Though sleeping for a week _might _be a bit too much rest, if you ask me, you lazy bum," joked Faust.

"W-w-wait, a _week_? Oh shit, I'm _screwed_! This week was supposed to have those small quizzes plus the assignments and projects…"

Souji shook his head. "Well, this past week wasn't exactly… normal."

He looked at Souji, stunned. "_Had Igor been right all along_?"

Souji continued. "You see, apart from you, me, Rei, and Faust, every single student that watched that video that night have been experiencing… I guess a sickness, for a lack of a better term."

Faust nodded. "Yeah, a few that are still asleep are apparently in some sort of coma, while those that woke up have been just drooling and staring out into whatever all day. But the weird thing is, there have been reports all over Japan of people developing these exact conditions. The media's starting to call it a national epidemic, though they don't really know what caused it.

Just so you know, the hospital here in Meguro is also packed with patients experiencing the same thing. In fact, the only reason why you got your own room was because of the influence of the Nanjou Group. The others have to share a room with one or two others."

Shin stopped for a moment to take in all the information. _"A national epidemic? Is this the threat? How the hell are we supposed to stop a fucking disease, if we don't even know the cause… or do we?_

Shin looked up. "Is this because of the appearance of those Shadows?"

"Most probably. I have no experience in this sort of stuff, but Souji thinks that the case too," Faust answered.

Souji nodded. "Yes, it's a big possibility. You remember me saying that I recently came from Inaba? That was the first place that I encountered these Shadows. But from my experience, contact with them usually leads to death, and not this… whatever condition this is."

"Apathy Syndrome."

They all turned as Rei came inside the room, again with that stealthy, thief-like movement of his.

"That's what they call this condition. I don't remember the specifics, but it apparently reduces a person into a vegetative state," Rei continued, oblivious to the surprised stares and raised eyebrows.

Faust tilted his head questioningly. "And how the hell do you know about this?"

Rei gave him a blank stare. "I just know. I have my sources. Anyways, there was a case like this in the Tatsumi Port Island region a few years back that gradually grew into a nationwide predicament just like it is now, but the Kirijo Group successfully stamped out the rumors and reports before it could become something big…"

Shin shook his head. "Wait, wait, wait, stop with all of this. All I wanted to know was how exactly these Shadows cause this?"

Rei shifted his gaze to Shin. "If I remember correctly, it's mainly due to individuals being attacked by Shadows."

"But that's not possible. You saw what those Shadows tried to do to us. They were attempting to kill us, not turn us into some sort of zombie," Faust interjected.

Souji nodded once again. "I agree. From what I gathered from the previous encounter with our Shadow Selves, the Shadows were attempting to _replace _us by killing off the originals and setting themselves up as the real thing. Where does Apathy Syndrome come in?"

Rei shook his head. "I don't know, Souji-senpai. Anyway… not to go to an entirely different subject, but if what you say is true, then how can we be so sure that the students currently here from the dormitory are real people, and not Shadows?"

Shin shuddered. At least eight more of those… things, in human form. That was a disturbing thought.

Shin could feel the seconds tick away as everyone was left to brooding amongst themselves. A few moments later Rei turned to leave, but Souji stopped him.

"Wait, there's one more thing I want to tell you two."

Shin looked towards Souji quizzically, while Rei turned around and leaned on the door, crossing his arms.

"There's one other thing… it's about that scene that both of you saw. It repeats itself everyday, without fail, around midnight to one in the morning."

"What scene?" Shin asked.

"The red sky, the dull green atmosphere, the bloody streets… it all appears at exactly the same time. I've never seen the like," Souji explains.

Shin scratched his head. "Uhhh, so what?"

"So what? So what!? That's when everything goes to hell, that's what!" Faust replied angrily.

Souji crossed his arms. "That's when even _more_ Shadows come out, but not like the ones you've seen. They're more like monsters, or demons, or things that you only see in your nightmares. Those were the same Shadows that I faced at Inaba, though how they can exist outside the realm me and my friends called the Midnight Channel is beyond me."

"The Dark Hour, then."

Everyone looked at Rei in surprise once again.

"It's supposed to be a hidden hour after midnight, or so I recall. The description does fit, after all," Rei continued indifferently.

Faust glared at Rei. "You sound like this situation's all fine and dandy. Well, it's not. Souji and I have been fighting throughout the week during this Dark Hour or whatever you call it, killing off Shadows, protecting civilians…"

Rei betrayed a look of surprise, one that Shin wasn't accustomed to seeing. "Civilians? But the Dark Hour can't be experienced by normal people. They get Transmogrified... basically they get turned into coffins. And electronics aren't supposed to function…"

Faust scowled. "Well, genius, they don't get Transmo-whatever-that was. Civilians can also see and experience this Dark Hour. The police are on high alert now at around midnight mainly because of all the attacks going on."

"You're right about the electronics not functioning. But this Dark Hour can't be hidden though, as time doesn't exactly stand still as this goes on. It usually ends maybe fifteen minutes after one in the morning, though I can't really say for sure," explained Souji.

Without saying a word, Rei immediately turned and exited the room.

"What the heck is _his_ problem," Faust mumbled.

"I'll talk to him later," Souji replied as he turned towards Shin. "I just wanted to ask both of you if you guys would like to help us out. You have a Persona now too, and only those with our power can actually defeat these Shadows. Faust and I just plan on going out around midnight when we can to hunt down some Shadows, maybe saving some people along the way."

Shin looked at Souji, and felt the sincerity of his words in his eyes.

"_Wow, now I've seen it all… you're really a saint, aren't you, Souji? Help some random stranger on the street? Without compensation at all? What the hell? Why would I even want to do that? Besides, I was scared as fuck when I fought back then. I was hoping that I could just use this Persona power for other 'stuff'."_

Faust looked at him, eyes gleaming. "You know, we saved this really hot girl the other day… I even got her number, so we could hang out. If everything goes well I'm actually thinking of dumping Ami for her. I'm sure this sort of thing happens often too."

"_What? Faust, that damned playboy, he already has Ami! But then again, maybe I could be a hero to some really beautiful chick… maybe get my own girlfriend in process? Awesome! Besides, I'll have Souji, a veteran Shadow hunter and if all goes well, Rei as well, so those two will probably make short work of the enemies, and then I can just deal the killing blow and look cool and…"_

Shin grinned. "I'll do it."

* * *

_Saturday, April 21, 2012  
Shoji Memorial Hospital_

_-1:00 p.m.-  
_

Reinhardt hurried down the hallway, dodging the various doctors and nurses, and some patients, that got in his way. This hospital had been packed full of all the victims of suffering Apathy Syndrome, and the doctors and nurses were moving to and fro, trying desperately to organize the massive exodus of patients coming in. Everyone glared at him as he pushed his way through the hallways and corridors of the floor towards the elevator, but he didn't care. He was used to those stares, used to people disliking him or even hating him. But he knew that that was the length to which they would actually go. No one ever confronted him, mainly because of his height and his foreign looks. No one had the guts.

But if someone did, he would just be run down, just like all those that wouldn't budge as he made his way through the crowds, pondering the current situation.

"_So this isn't the Dark Hour, then? This is even more trouble than I realized."_

He immediately turned into the elevator, where people were packed shoulder to shoulder, and instinctively made more room for himself.

"_If Souji-senpai is correct, then those students admitted into this hospital are all threats. If not direct threats, then an indirect danger to the hospital itself. Who knows if they're actually Shadows in disguise. Something has to be done about them. Maybe killed? I say it's better to be safe than sorry."_

Upon reaching the 8th floor, he made his way through the familiar corridors and went directly to the room that he always visited.

The room of his sister.

Upon entering, however, he was confronted by a lovely woman with long, red locks the same shade as his own, seated at his sister's bedside with her back turned to him. However, he didn't need to see her face to know who it was.

It was _her_.

The woman turned towards him, her familiar eyes projecting poise and confidence. "Reinhardt."

He stared at her coldly as he shut the door. "It's you. Why are you here?"

"I just came to chat with Lia. I was planning on visiting you at your dormitory as well, but seeing that you're here now as well, that makes things easier."

"What do you want from me?" he asked sharply.

The girl sighed and shook her head. "You've always been like this, even back then Rei. The Kirijo Group isn't your enemy. I'm not your enemy."

He crossed his arms and glared. "Is that all? Another lecture for me?"

The woman regarded him sternly. "You broke into our system early this morning. It was one of the restricted files again. Why? Regarding the contents of that file, you know full well that I would have given you all the information if you had just asked."

"I did not break into your system. That's all I have to say."

"Reinhardt, it doesn't matter if you did it or you had one of your 'agents' do it, it amounts to the same thing. Besides, there are only a few individuals who know about those files, and more importantly, only a select few who would even care to remind themselves of its contents."

"I'm so sorry for my brother's behavior, Mitsuru-chan."

They both turned towards the speaker, his sister, Lia. Her long black hair framed a pale face that had gained a bit of meat the past week, though the bags under her eyes did betray a few sleepless nights. For the hundredth time he tried to ignore the scars on her neck and hands, but could not. He had caused those scars. He was the reason she was here.

"Don't talk to Mitsuru like that, Rei. I'm sure that she's already stressed at work; she doesn't need another headache coming from you," his sister continued.

Mitsuru sighed. "It's alright, Lia, you know that your brother and I always argue."

She turned to him again, and for the first time in his life he saw her uncertain. "It's Apathy Syndrome again. I had thought that this would all be over when Nyx was defeated. What happened?"

He shook his head, and took a seat on one of the other chairs in the room. "And then there's also the Dark Hour. Why is it back? I remember you telling me that you and your S.E.E.S. stopped it too. Are you telling me that Nyx is coming again?"

Mitsuru looked away from him, clearly uncomfortable. "We fought, but ultimately a man named Minato Arisato was the one who ended everything: Nyx, the Dark Hour, and the Apathy Syndrome."

He grunted sharply. "That's what you get for trusting the wrong tool, Mitsuru. This Minato Arisato person did a half-assed job, and now we have to pay for it."

Mitsuru immediately stood, face red and eyes flashing in anger. "How dare you! You weren't there when…"

He looked at her coldly. "Everything that's happening is caused by _his_ failure. If you look at the circumstances now, it's pretty much a fact, and facts are all that matter. Now what _we _have to figure out is how to fix what _he _couldn't fix."

Mitsuru turned away from him, trembling. "I have to go now, Lia, but I'll come back again."

Lia smiled. "You're welcome to come and chat again, Mitsuru-chan. I'm very sorry about Rei. He can be very… insensitive."

Mitsuru only nodded, and left the room.

"That was very hurtful to Mitsuru, Rei. Couldn't you tell that Minato was close to her heart? She was smiling when she talked about him," she said, rebuking him with that no-nonsense tone that she always used when she lectured him.

He shrugged. "I only reiterated the facts as I see it. If she can't take it, then that's her problem. Her crying about it won't help us with this crisis we have."

He felt the warmth of her hands enclosing one of his, and furrowed his brows. "Is something wrong, big sis?"

"No… I just wanted to see if you're still made of flesh. You've grown harder, Rei. Less trusting. It hurts to see you like this," she replied, concern clearly etched on her face.

He took both her hands and put them inside his. "Don't ever worry about me, sis, just worry about yourself. I'll do what I have to and fulfill my promise, no matter what."

He hugged her tightly, but heard a small mumble from her.

"By then, Rei, what would you have become?"


	8. Why Me? A day in the life of Shin Nanjou

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Persona series. And with a New Year... I still don't own it, coz Atlus does.  
_

_Author notes:  
__1. Be advised that words that are italicized are the character POV's thoughts, or a voice in the POV's head, or music. The horizontal line denotes either a change in scenario, or a change in POV._

_2. Enjoy!_

_

* * *

_

**"Why Me? A day in the life of Shinichi Nanjou"**

_Thursday, May 3, 2012  
Random street in town_

_-Dark Hour-  
_

The earth shook as the gigantic spear pierced the ground behind Shin, causing him to stumble around as he tried to avoid it. The air was filled with the different sounds of battle: the clashes of solid metal, the variety of explosions, the groaning of the walls of buildings and the upended earth, the beastly roars of the monsters. A while back, he would probably just be cowering in some remote corner of the city, crying and waiting for the battles to die down, but he wasn't that type of person anymore.

Now he was just shitting his pants and trembling in fear as he stood his ground against these monsters.

The Shadows came in all sorts of shapes and sizes; some were small while others reached the size of those giant fucking robots that he watched every so often in television. But he had quickly learned that size didn't really matter when it came to these monsters. The entire team had almost been wiped out by a small Shadow in the form of a table a few days back. Souji had somehow pulled through the whole thing while all three of them were unconscious, and that just made him respect their leader that much more.

"Stop standing around like an idiot, or you'll die," came a shout from behind.

That was Rei. Honestly, he expected Rei to do a lot better in battle; the guy did have a Persona way before him or Faust, and for some reason he had always had this vision of Rei being some sort of berserker, especially after that sight at the dormitory. In reality though, he didn't really fare as well as Souji did; though in retrospect, the guy was still miles ahead of him or Faust.

The Shadow they had engaged suddenly roared, and he heard a loud scraping coming from the direction of the spear. As he turned, he saw the spear dislodging itself from the ground and readying itself for another flight.

Towards him.

He made a move to try to jump away, but suddenly realized that he couldn't move his legs. As he looked down he saw a bunch of black blobs with blue masks holding on to his feet, legs, and knees, firmly rooting him in place.

"_Shit."_

The spear flung itself towards his chest, attempting to skewer him, but was immediately intercepted by a handful of boulders, messing up its trajectory and resulting to it smashing into the building beside him.

"Help me, Icarus!"

An almost completely mummified figure strapped onto a metallic contraption with wings emerged above him. Arms sprouted from within the cloth bandages holding a short bow in its hands. Upon drawing the weapon, the swirling gales of wind coalesced into the shape of arrows.

"Magaru!"

Icarus shot the arrows up into the air, and in a split second the green streaks had instantly curved downwards and struck the Mayas keeping him in place.

With the benefit of the Sukukaja buff improving his movement speed and reflexes, he immediately leapt to the side just as another round of boulders fell, crushing those weak and hapless black blobs.

"Rei! What the hell! You almost hit me with that Maha-magna!" Shin cried out angrily.

"I assumed that you would move right after being freed from the Mayas, so I took the liberty of killing them off as quickly as possible. It's hard to fight against this elite Shadow with all these small fries hampering our movement, and if we let even one escape it just multiplies," he replied coldly.

"Fucking bastard, you could have killed me!"

The Shadow once again roared, and the spear again came out and readied itself with another run, this time focusing on Rei, who was closer. The air shimmered above Rei as a metallic human figure appeared, wearing a blood-red cloak and pants. The metallic human looked extremely rusty and appeared to have been worn away by the elements: the portions of body that were readily visible had large cracks, breaks, and holes in it, revealing a deep darkness inside its body. Shin shivered uncontrollably at the eyeless head, which had a large gaping hole on the entire right side, where at times he imagined an eye looking from inside the deep void. Rei's Persona, Gilgamesh, was extremely creepy, but coming from Rei, it was probably normal.

Gilgamesh reared back and suddenly let loose a Sonic Punch, knocking the spear into the nearest building. However, another agonizing roar sounded, and a flurry of ten large spears came down from the heavens, piercing the ground near them and shaking the earth violently.

"Where the hell is that roar coming from?" he shouted to no one in particular.

"On top of one of the buildings. Can't you tell?" replied Rei, stumbling towards him as the earth shook.

"_I know that, Mr. I'm-better-than-you. I just needed to vent,"_ he thought as he ground his teeth in frustration.

As Shin rolled his eyes in annoyance, he noticed the spears that just landed started turning into a black liquid of some sort, and started forming shapes.

"_Damn it! Again?"_

"Magaru!"

"Maha-magna!"

Streaks of green sped through air as boulders formed from the earth and the buildings around them. As the arrows of air pierced the liquid forms, dropping them into puddles on the ground, the chunks of earth immediately rushed at the masked puddles, effectively crushing whatever Shadow that tried to rise.

Cold sweat had been coming out of him in a torrent for quite some time now. He hadn't had much experience in using his Persona to this extent, and he felt that he was at his limit now. He leaned against one of the walls and tried to steady his weakening body.

"We can't keep this up forever. What's taking those guys so long?"

"This is what you get for not training consistently. The destruction of these Shadows should have been your number one priority, but instead you still go out on dates and parties every chance you get."

He glared at Rei. _"Whatever man. I do what I want, when I want. I'm not obligated to help complete strangers… except girls of course."_

Shin sneered. "At least I'm enjoying my teen years, unlike some people who don't seem to want to have fun at all."

"Fun? Fun is overrated, Shinichi. You do what you have to," Rei replied cryptically.

He jumped in surprise as he felt a sudden drip onto his shoulder. Upon looking up, he saw an entire horde of Mayas falling towards them from the top of one of the buildings, each one holding a variety of deadly items such as sharp glass, metal bars, bricks, and the like.

"Above!" he shouted as he threw himself forward.

The horde immediately dispersed as they landed, trying to surround and overwhelm them with numbers.

Another round of Magaru and Maha-magna erupted from their respective Personas, attempting to clear a number of the Mayas, but they came like a flood, scratching, clawing, punching, stabbing, and pummeling. Shin kicked the nearest Maya as another tried climbing up behind him, slimy hands leaving a trail of black goop on his body. He could see Rei successfully fending off the onslaught of Mayas that were trying to overwhelm him, but before he could cry out to the damned guy, the sea of Mayas had knocked him down, the black hands hitting his midsection, his legs, and his knees while crushing his throat.

"_Another Magaru, Icarus!"_

"_You're losing focus again, Shin! Switch to your physical resistant aspect! Your body's taking too much physical damage… Concentrate!"_ came the now-familiar voice of his Persona.

"_Shit! I can't concentrate when I can't breathe!"_

He tried to picture the card of 'Rakshasa', one of the newer physical resistant Personas he had recently acquired, but the figure kept slipping away from his mind. The lack of air coupled with his tired body was dimming his mind and quickly making him lose consciousness.

_Crack._

With the switch, the pain the Mayas were inflicting started to fade away, as if each of their attacks had suddenly gotten a lot weaker, and with that, he used the remaining strength he had in him to push up and out of the horde of Shadows.

Only, as he heaved himself up, there were no Shadows to be seen.

The eerie, blood red streets had vanished, leaving him and Rei alone in the dark, lonely street. All the damage to the structures around them and on the ground had strangely vanished, which always made him stare in wonder as to what this Dark Hour really was.

The sky had returned to the same black color that he remembered before all this madness started occurring.

"_Wow… never thought I'd ever be glad to see the stars. The night looks exceptionally dark though… probably because the moon can't really be seen anymore."_

He chuckled to himself. _"And who ever thought that I'd actually start taking notice of stuff like the stars and the moon? Must be the scientist in me."_

Rei walked over to him and glowered. "You nearly died… _again_. Now do you understand the need to gain experience in fights?"

"_Ugh. Another lecture from him coming right up. When will it ever end?"_

_

* * *

_

_Thursday, May 3, 2012  
Meguro International High, Class 1-C_

_-12:00 p.m.-  
_

Shin stretched his neck a bit, and didn't bother stifling a yawn. It was always like this after their midnight excursions, and he didn't bother hiding his tiredness in this class since it was only history, and _everyone _felt tired and sleepy during history. He unconsciously touched his neck for the thousandth time this day, still feeling the Maya's iron grip as it attempted to crush his throat a few hours before.

He just couldn't wait till this lecture was done. In fact, everyone in class couldn't wait till class was done. It wasn't that Mrs. Ono was a boring teacher; in fact, she was actually pretty good at what she did, considering the subject that she taught. Plus, there was her weird bordering fanatical obsession with ancient mythology, be it Japanese or otherwise, and she would always connect the historical events with how some-and-such god was the true cause of it. Ok, so she was a bit on the nutty side, but why complain?

What made the class so intensely boring was her teaching style. She _never _seemed to stop talking, and she would talk about her life at least half the time that she was lecturing and talking about mythology. Seriously, why should he care about what her kids had for lunch today?

And that brought about another point. Lunch. It was right after this class, and he could be certain that he could hear everyone's stomach start to grumble halfway through the class.

"That will be all, class. May you be blessed by the favor of the Great Will, the One Above All. May be blessed by the favor of Zeus, the father of the gods. May you be blessed…"

"_Oh god, it's the litany. I'm outta here, before she tells us to recite it with her."_

As he left the classroom to go meet with his friends from the Art Club, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Rei.

"We have another meeting at lunch, remember? This time, I'm not letting you off."

"_Oh right, I forgot. It'll probably be another boring meeting, with me just nodding my head all the time. Why do I even have to do this? So annoying."_

They met at the usual spot right by the track field, which used to be where the much more 'questionable' seniors used to hang out exclusively before they were embarrassed by Rei. The questionables were still there talking amongst themselves, but amidst them he could see a prime spot where they had made a space specifically for the four of them. Souji and Faust were already waiting there, talking animatedly.

"What's this about, Souji?" he asked indifferently.

"First of all, it's about you. Rei's been saying that you're really not pulling your weight during the battles."

Faust nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. I've been tagged with him once, and that time didn't exactly go so well."

"What the hell! I'm still learning! This isn't fair!" Shin objected.

Souji merely nodded. "We'll see. I'll go with you next time. Remember Sleeping Table? That was with the four of us, and we almost got killed. We need you to work with us, Shin! You have to be a bit more committed!"

"_That's a load of responsibility, Souji, and I'm not willing to take that much… besides, I'm not about to sacrifice my teen life for this! But whatever,. I'll just nod my head and smile, better to get this over with…"_

He looked at Souji's probing eyes as he nodded and felt a desire to look away, but Souji had moved on.

"Secondly, there's the problem of these Shadows. The past few ones have been really hard to kill and have almost wiped us out. Not only that, but there seems to be a lot more now, and they've begun attacking people outside more often as well. They seem more restless as a whole."

Faust smiled sarcastically. "Uh, so what? It's not like we can suddenly tell them: 'Hey Shadows, could you just tone down on the violence thing, there's too many people to save.'"

"I've been thinking a bit about my past experience with the Shadows. Back in Inaba, the Shadows would only become more restless during the days that led to that one special day: A Day of Fog. On that day, the victim would usually get killed by his or her own Shadow Self, and these Shadows were typically far stronger, more crafty, and more cunning than the normal ones."

Rei immediately interjected. "So what you're getting at is that during one of the coming days, we'll have to face a massively powerful Shadow?"

"Well, yes, but instead of one massively powerful Shadow, there'll be at least… seven massively powerful Shadows."

Shin immediately broke out of his bored reverie. "_Seven?!_ Are you fucking kidding me?"

Souji pointedly ignored him. "I've been thinking. During those days when my friends were inside the Midnight Channel, the Shadows could have easily gotten to them and killed them. Another friend told me that the fog in the Midnight Channel prevented that to some extent. But I've always thought: why didn't the person's own Shadow come out and kill him or her?

Maybe… it's because there are only specific days where a powerful Shadow, a Shadow Self, let's call it a 'Boss', can actually appear. Maybe there's some sort of seal out there that properly locks out these 'Bosses' till certain days, or when certain requirements are met. I don't know… this is all just idle speculation."

"So a 'Boss' will be popping up one of these days. All we'll have to do is beat it then, provided Shin actually tries helping for once. But why seven?" Faust replied with a tone bordering annoyance.

"At least seven… because that's the same number of students that are currently suffering from Apathy Syndrome, and because they watched the same video as us. And if you recall, we had to face myself, Rei, and Shin's Shadow Self that time. My theory is that the 'Boss' Shadows are the Shadow Selves of each of those who had watched that video, though that's painting a pretty positive picture. I've also considered that the Boss Shadows could be the Shadow Self of every single person who has Apathy Syndrome."

"Fuck. That's a _lot_," gulped Faust.

Shin felt a cold chill, and it had nothing to do with the wind. "Wait… I remember something. Right after I gained consciousness, there were three familiar voices close to me… and they were saying something about failing something, and about the moon setting, or something like that." He shuddered, as he remembered that night.

"You sure that you weren't dreaming or something, Shin?" Faust noted sarcastically.

"Damn Faust, don't believe if you don't want to. I heard what I heard," he replied angrily, face reddening. "I didn't see _your _Shadow Self. Maybe you're a Shadow yourself, huh?"

He and Rei immediately stared at Faust.

"Whoa, whoa, guys… no need to get suspicious here. Do I _look _menacing to you?"

"I never trusted you, you know," Rei intoned coldly.

"Well, you don't trust anybody, so you don't count," Faust joked. "Souji, you saw me that time, right, and told me to help out Shin and Rei? Besides, I don't have golden eyes, now do I?"

Souji shrugged. "I can't blame them for not trusting you, you know. We never defeated or ever saw your Shadow. But I've trusted you with my back during all our battles, and you've never failed yet, so I'll continue trusting you.

But this is no time for infighting. Shin's given us a lead, though really small. 'Moon setting' probably means the New Moon phase, and that'll be happening in a few days' time. I propose to watch the hospital every single night starting tonight, just in case something happens. It's best to get ready for the worst, especially you Shin."

"_Oh god, every single day? No way!"_ But Shin said nothing, though another thought had suddenly occurred to him.

"I've also been wondering, but you kept saying at least _seven_. But there were twelve of us that night, including the four of us. I can't believe I'm saying this, but shouldn't there be _eight_ of those 'Boss' Shadows?"

Rei nodded. "Yes, I was about to ask just that. There were nine people remaining in that dormitory when the three of us went out to inspect the outside. If Faust woke later, then what happened to the other one? Dead?"

Souji looked at them with a puzzled look on his face. "You never knew?"

"Knew what?"

"Only seven people were actually found in the dormitory by the paramedics. An investigation was made, and it was found that the missing person was a girl called Meimi Li. No one's heard from her ever since.


End file.
